Six baby elephants who were stuck in steep muddy pit for two days are rescued by Thai park rangers.
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Sunday, 31 March 2019
Muses no more: Ballet's newest choreographers
After centuries of taking orders now women are the ones calling the shots in ballet.
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Vietnam students invent air cleaning bicycle
High school students in Vietnam create a bike device that cleans the air for the cyclist.
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Mexico pioneers recycled seaweed shoes
A Mexican inventor is making recyclable shoes from plastic bottles and seaweed.
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Kyrgyz debate renaming capital
Proposal to rename Kyrgyz capital city meets cool reception.
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Tornado chasers face storm as lawsuit hits close to home
A lawsuit claims reckless behaviour by storm chasers before a fatal crash. Is there a wider problem?
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US school shootings: Have drills gone too far?
One school apparently shot teachers "execution style" with pellets as part of a rehearsal for the real thing.
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How Village People's cop Victor Willis aims to 'reboot' the group
Victor Willis, the pop group's former singer and songwriter, has overcome legal battles and rehab.
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Is there an Austrian link to New Zealand mosque attacks?
The main suspect in the mosque massacre was familiar with Austria's far-right scene.
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The Bollywood factor in India's election
A film about Prime Minister Modi is facing criticism for mythologising him ahead of a national vote.
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Life after a devastating mining disaster
Brazil's Brumadinho dam disaster is having consequences in towns which are near similar dams.
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In Ukraine's election, a comedian might be voters' best choice
Comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy is an outsider, but he carries less baggage than incumbent Petro Poroshenko and oligarch Yulia Tymoshenko -- and could become Ukraine's next president, Michael Bociurkiw says.
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Eurostar disrupted as flag-wearing protester spends night on London station roof
UK police arrested a man who spent the night on the roof of London's St. Pancras station draped in the English flag, causing Eurostar and other train operators to suspend all services.
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Red Cross will start bringing aid to Venezuela
The president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, has claimed victory after the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies announced Friday it would have unhindered access to bring aid into the struggling country.
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Analysis: Now more than ever, Britain needs a general election
Theresa May is spending this weekend trying to plot a way out of the UK's Brexit stalemate after Parliament rejected her deal for a third time. With just two weeks left to the new deadline of April 12, she -- and the House of Commons -- are running out of options.
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Thunder Snow makes Dubai World Cup history for Sheikh Mohammed
It's "where the world's best meet, from far and near," according to Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who ahead of the Dubai World Cup had penned a 24-line poem in honor of the prestigious event.
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Slovakia elects first female president
Environmental and anti-corruption activist Zuzana Čaputová wins runoff election
Vocal government critic and anti-corruption activist Zuzana Čaputová was set to become Slovakia’s first female president after near complete results showed her winning Saturday’s runoff election.
The environmental lawyer got 58.01% of the ballot after results from more than 90% of polling stations were counted, while the EU energy commissioner Maroš Šefčovič garnered 41.98, the Slovak statistics office said.
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Alaska judge blocks Trump on Arctic and Atlantic drilling
- April 2017 executive order reversed Obama protections
- Green groups celebrate, justice department declines comment
Donald Trump exceeded his authority when he reversed bans on offshore drilling in vast parts of the Arctic ocean and dozens of canyons in the Atlantic, a judge said in a ruling that restored the Obama-era restrictions.
Related: Ocasio-Cortez says Green New Deal critics are making 'fools of themselves'
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Japan to oppose new or expanded coal-fired power plants in blow to Australian exports
Australia’s top export market for thermal coal gives further signs of dramatic energy pivot to renewables
Japan’s environment minister has announced he will “in principle” oppose any new plans to build or expand coal-fired power stations, as further signs emerge of a dramatic energy pivot by Australia’s top export market for thermal coal.
Guardian Australia reported in March that Japan had cancelled a large percentage of planned investments in coal-fired power, while Japanese investment vehicles were ditching coal projects and instead seeking to back large-scale renewable projects across Asia.
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Watson: if Labour backs another referendum it can beat Tories in elections
Deputy leader’s comments come as polls show voters trust neither Corbyn nor May on Brexit
Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson has called on his party to “embrace” European elections in May, as well as the possibility of a general election, saying that if it goes into either contest pledging a confirmatory referendum it can beat the Tories.
His upbeat pre-election rallying call comes as MPs prepare to vote again on Monday on a second referendum, after the plan to hold one on any Brexit deal that passes through parliament won the most votes of any option considered by MPs in last Wednesday’s series of indicative votes.
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Kumbh Mela: cleaning up after the world’s largest human gathering
Around 220 million people descended on sleepy Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad) for the 50-day Hindu festival. The cleanup could take months
As the sun sets over the Ganges, Vikas Kumar drives his garbage truck through the streets of Prayagraj, a historic Indian city of 1.1 million that was until last year known as Allahabad. “All this stuff people have been eating, drinking and throwing away,” he says, gesturing at piles of food waste, discarded water bottles and mud-spattered flowers. “It will take three or four months to clear.”
Over a 50-day period this normally sleepy city has been visited by around 220 million people for the Kumbh Mela – a Hindu pilgrimage dubbed the world’s largest human gathering.
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'Fake it until you make it': the strange case of New York's socialite scammer
Anna Sorokin, who went by ‘Anna Delvey’, is accused of perpetrating a two-year, $275,000 scam of friends, banks, designers and upscale hotels
Judge Diane Kiesel could barely conceal her irritation. Anna Sorokin, the defendant at the centre of a highly publicized art world extortion trial, was refusing to attend proceedings on account of dissatisfaction with her courtroom outfit.
Related: 'Magic trick': trial begins for fake heiress who swindled friends, banks and hotels
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Papal visit to Morocco interrupted by man running at king’s car
Man quickly overpowered by king’s security guards
A man ran towards a car carrying the Moroccan king shortly after the arrival of Pope Francis in the north African nation on Saturday, but he was swiftly seized by security guards.
King Mohammed VI was standing up in an open-topped car in a convoy alongside the pope’s vehicle, waving at crowds lining a street in Rabat. The king’s car sped up slightly, but there was no other sign of disruption.
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US will cut off aid to Central American countries over asylum seekers
- State will cut aid to El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala
- Administration seeks to step up removals at southern border
The US is cutting off aid to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, the state department said on Saturday, a day after President Donald Trump blasted the countries for sending migrants north.
Related: 'This is our moment': Beto O'Rourke attacks Trump and calls for unity
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Gladys Berejiklian's new cabinet lineup gives renewed focus to NSW regions
Nationals MPs are given prominent roles in areas that hurt the Coalition at the election
The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, and her deputy, John Barilaro, have unveiled the new cabinet lineup, giving a renewed focus to the regions after the countryside swung away from the coalition at the state election.
But critics have been quick to point out there are fewer women with portfolios than there were before the reshuffle.
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Revealed: Vietnamese children vanish from Dutch shelters to be trafficked into Britain
Investigation highlights failings of Dutch and UK authorities to care properly for unaccompanied minors
On a crisp winter day in a small village in the north of the Netherlands, a pile of leaves swirls around in the wind outside a brick house, an ordinary scene except for the CCTV cameras outside the front door and the occupants inside – child victims of trafficking. Many of the children are from Vietnam. They live in this protected shelter to keep them safe from gangs who want to smuggle them out of the Netherlands to the UK.
But an investigation by the Observer and Argos Radio of the Netherlands has revealed that, in the past five years, at least 60 Vietnamese children have disappeared from these shelters. Dutch police and immigration officials suspect the children end up in the UK working on cannabis farms and in nail salons.
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The boy on a raft in Manila Bay – in pictures
At dawn, Reymark Cavesirano makes a perilous journey out to sea to meet the fishing boats in a bid to help his family survive
Photographs: Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images
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Home Office limit on support for slavery victims may be unlawful, court rules
Judge orders immediate extension to safe housing, counselling and financial support beyond existing 45-day threshold
A high court judge has ruled that Home Office policy to cut off all statutory support to people six weeks after they have been formally identified as victims of slavery is potentially unlawful, ordering that assistance must immediately be extended.
All statutory support under the Modern Slavery Act, such as safe housing, counselling and financial support, currently ends 45 days after the Home Office has informed someone they have been officially recognised as a victim.
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In a destructive decade, why has no one tried to rein in Netanyahu?
As Bibi marks 10 years in power in Israel, life for the Palestinians looks bleaker than ever
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It is difficult not to marvel at the scale of Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal achievement. Israel’s prime minister celebrates 10 consecutive years in power on 31 March. His country’s youngest-ever leader in 1996, he has been re-elected three times since 2009, matching David Ben-Gurion’s record. As matters stand, he has a good chance of winning again in polls on 9 April.
Netanyahu’s political achievement is altogether less marvellous. Under his grimly negative, fearful tutelage, Israeli society has shifted steadily rightwards. Attitudes to a peace settlement with the Palestinians have perceptibly hardened. Thanks in large part to Netanyahu’s uncompromising stance, the issue no longer occupies centre stage as it once did.
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'The Leggings problem': can we just never hear about them again?
The spandex-based controversy has been broiling in the west for years; and it’s not just men policing women’s bodies, women are doing it to themselves
Sign up for the Week in Patriarchy, a newsletter on feminism and sexism sent every Saturday.
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College bribery scandal: professors respond to our anonymous column
We published one professor’s account of student entitlement, and the response from readers was enormous. Here, we share replies from other educators
“If you think corruption in elite US college admissions is bad, what happens once those students are in the classroom is even worse,” wrote an anonymous professor in the Guardian this week.
Related: What happens after rich kids bribe their way into college? I teach them | Anonymous
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Palestinians rally at Gaza border to mark protest anniversary – video
Israeli forces have killed a Palestinian man and a teenage boy and shot 10 others at the Gaza frontier, where thousands of Palestinians rallied to mark the first anniversary of a surge of protests, facing off against Israeli forces massed across the frontier. Troops fired tear gas across the border while Palestinian activists clad in bright orange vests tried to keep people away from the border fence
Palestinian man and teenage boy killed by Israeli fire, officials say
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Turkey released first videos of its powerful electromagnetic railgun
Turkish defense industry released on Saturday video showing the test of newest electromagnetic railgun called Şahi 209 Block II.
According to media reports, new Turkish powerful railgun use electromagnetic energy instead of gunpowder to propel 35mm rounds and is capable of striking a target 31 miles. Şahi 209 Block II has 10 megajoules pulsed DC power supply.
Also reported that the Turkish Defense Ministry has successfully tested an upgraded version of the ŞAHİ-209 electromagnetic railgun, which is ten times more powerful than previous Block 1 version.
The new electromagnetic railgun was developed by Yeteknoloji AŞ company.
A railgun is a device that uses electromagnetic force to launch high velocity projectiles, by means of a sliding armature that is accelerated along a pair of conductive rails.
A railgun consists of two parallel metal rails (hence the name). At one end, these rails are connected to an electrical power supply, to form the breech end of the gun. Then, if a conductive projectile is inserted between the rails (e.g. by insertion into the breech), it completes the circuit. Electrons flow from the negative terminal of the power supply up the negative rail, across the projectile, and down the positive rail, back to the power supply.
The electromagnetic launch system is able to develop four countries around the world. Turkey is one of them.
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Textron delivered their Army’s Next-Gen Squad Weapon technology demonstrator
Diversified manufacturer Textron announced on 25 March that it delivered the prototype demonstrator of the Next Generation Squad Weapon to the U.S. Army.
According to a statement released by the Textron Systems, a business of Textron Inc., it delivered the initial Next Generation Squad Weapon-Technology (NGSW-T) prototype demonstrator to the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Armaments Center and Joint Services Small Arms Program (JSSAP). The automatic rifle prototype, based on the company’s proven Cased-Telescoped (CT) Weapons and Ammunition technology, is the first of five weapon demonstrators that Textron Systems will deliver for the program.
“Moving from contract award to delivery of a revolutionary, next-generation weapon in just 15 months not only demonstrates the maturity of our CT technology, but also the project execution excellence our team possesses to rapidly fill critical warfighter needs on schedule,” said Textron Systems Senior Vice President of Applied Technologies & Advanced Programs Wayne Prender. “Our CT weapons and ammunition offer the growth path to a true next-generation small arms weapon for U.S. warfighters, including increased lethality at longer ranges, while also delivering significant weight reductions to the warfighter.”
Technologies demonstrated by Textron Systems under the NGSW-T effort will inform the Army’s formal NGSW program and include weapon and ammunition weight reduction, weapon sound suppression, as well as fire control integration technology.
In 2018, Textron Systems also received a separate contract from the U.S. Army to develop a prototype weapon for the Next Generation Squad Automatic Rifle- Prototype Opportunity Notice (NGSAR-PON) program and remains on track to demonstrate the weapon in June 2019.
In development since 2004, Textron Systems’ CT weapons and ammunition offer an innovative weapon design that increases lethality and reduces total system weight by up to 40 percent. Textron Systems has developed rifles, including automatic rifles, in a variety of configurations and calibers, including 5.56mm, 6.5mm, and 7.62mm, and is supporting the Army’s current efforts to revolutionize its small arms capability.
According to the U.S. Army Contracting Command, the new rifle under NGSW program is the planned replacement for the M4/M4A1 Carbine and the automatic rifle is the planned replacement for the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) in the Automatic Rifleman Role in the Close Combat Force.
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F-35B/C enhances the operational capability for night refueling
In March, teams from the F-35 Pax River Integrated Test Force and Edwards Air Force Base, California, completed testing on an improved probe light assembly for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps F-35 variants for night refueling.
The F-35 program recently completed testing on an improved lighting assembly with the KC-135 that will enable the Navy and Marine Corps F-35 variants to refuel behind the tanker at night. Flight testing of the redesigned light, which attaches to a refueling probe, was led by Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland, and supported by Edwards Air Force Base, California.
The test demonstrated teamwork across three services and between test units located on opposite coasts, all focused on quickly evaluating this lighting fix under specific nighttime conditions to ensure that F-35 operators can expand their night refueling operations to include all configurations of the KC-135.
The purpose of the probe light on Navy and Marine aircraft is to illuminate the refueling receptacle, or “basket,” to ensure that the F-35 pilot can see adequately and make contact to begin refueling. However, the existing lighting design made it difficult for the KC-135 boom operator to see the silhouette of the F-35, which is an Air Force requirement in order for the boom operator to monitor refueling operations and help the F-35 pilot maintain safe separation from the refueling boom. One main objective of this redesign is to ensure better visibility for the KC-135 boom operator.
“An issue with the current probe light was that it was too bright, blinding the KC-135 aerial refueling boom operators,” said Michael McGee, 418th Flight Test Squadron, Aerial Refueling project manager at Edwards AFB. “The new light was designed to be less bright, but still bright enough for the F-35 pilot to see clearly.”
For this test, an F-35B deployed to Edwards AFB from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23), Naval Air Station Patuxent River, and was paired up with a KC-135 and test aircrew from the 418th FLTS. Both ground and flight tests posed interesting challenges for the team consisting of 418th FLTS and 461st Flight Test Squadron personnel.
“For the ground test we used a hangar,” McGee said. “The environment needed to be completely dark. We had to remove emergency lighting from the facility and place mats on the floor to reduce light glare. The boom operators were raised on a scissor lift to simulate the KC-135 tanker. The team had to simulate the drogue basket approaching the F-35B so the 461st FLTS maintainers mounted the basket onto a B-4 stand. Since the stand is on wheels, we could simulate the basket approaching the probe while the F-35 pilot assessed the brightness of the light.”
The ground test evaluated two types of lights with different color tones – a warm white light and an amber light – across various brightness levels. The warm white light was assessed as the best choice for both of the boom operators and the pilots, McGee said.
The first flight test lasted four hours and accomplished all of the required test points.
“Our biggest concern was completing the test during the lowest moon illumination; worst case lighting scenario timeframe, which was March 1-11,” said McGee. “For the flight test, we planned a minimum of two flights, but captured all test points on our first flight.”
The evaluation had favorable results and the design will now be considered by the Air Refueling Certification Agency to be incorporated into a revised flight clearance for the Navy and USMC, anticipated by early this summer.
The F-35A — the U.S. Air Force variant — does not have a probe so no light change is required for that model.
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U.S. Army releases final request for proposals for Optionally-Manned Fighting Vehicle
The U.S. Army has released posted the final request for proposals to open the competition for its Next Generation Combat Vehicle – Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (NGCV – OMFV).
As noted by the U.S. Army Contracting Command, the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle or OMFV is a new combat vehicle that will provide Armor Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs) a mobile, purpose built manned platform that will maneuver Soldiers to a point of positional advantage to engage in close combat. It will deliver decisive lethality and Soldiers to the battlefield during the execution of combined arms maneuver.
The next generation of combat vehicle under OMFV program will design to replace the ageing Bradley fighting vehicle platform.
The OMFV will be designed to maneuver Soldiers in the future operating environment to a position of advantage to engage in close combat and deliver decisive lethality during the execution of combined arms maneuver. New combat vehicle must exceed current capabilities while overmatching similar threat class systems. It must have the following capabilities:
- Optionally manned. It must have the ability to conduct remotely controlled operations while the crew is off platform.
- Capacity. It should eventually operate with no more than two crewmen and possess sufficient volume under armor to carry at least six Soldiers.
- Transportability. Two OMFVs should be transportable by one C-17 and be ready for combat within 15 minutes.
- Dense urban terrain operations and mobility. Platforms should include the ability to super elevate weapons and simultaneously engage threats using main gun and an independent weapons system.
- Protection. It must possess requisite protection to survive on the contemporary and future battlefield.
- Growth. It will possess sufficient size, weight, architecture, power, and cooling for automotive and electrical purposes to meet all platform needs and allow for pre-planned product improvements.
- Lethality. It should apply immediate, precise and decisively lethal extended range medium caliber, directed energy, and missile fires in day/night all-weather conditions, while moving and/or stationary against moving and/or stationary targets. The platform should allow for mounted, dismount, and unmanned system target handover.
- Embedded Platform Training. It should have embedded training systems that have interoperability with the Synthetic Training Environment.
- Sustainability. Industry should demonstrate innovations that achieve breakthroughs in power generation and management to achieve increased operational range and fuel efficiency; increased silent watch, part and component reliability, and significantly reduced sustainment burden.
The Government intends to award up to two Middle Tier Acquisition (MTA) Rapid Prototyping (RP) contracts. The MTA RP will be a Firm-Fixed Price contract with a base award that may include multiple options. The MTA RP effort consists of procuring 14 pre-production vehicles (per contractor), two Ballistic Hull and Turrets (per contractor), armor coupons, and logistics products.
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New Russian Il-112 military tactical aircraft makes maiden flight
Ilyushin Aviation Complex, an aircraft engineering enterprise, announced on 30 March that it has successfully completed the maiden flight of its Il-112V light military transport aircraft.
According to a news release put out by Ilyushin Aviation Complex, the first flight of new military transport plane was being performed on the eve of the 125th birth anniversary of Soviet aircraft designer Sergei Ilyushin.
“An Il-112V light military transport aircraft performed its maiden flight successfully,” the Ilyushin Aviation Complex press service said.
This is the first military transport plane designed in Russia from scratch during the post-Soviet era. Work to create it has been in progress since 2014. According to its specifications, the new plane will be capable of carrying of up to 5 tonnes of cargo. It is designed to transport troops, military equipment and weapons.
An Ilyushin representative said: “In the long term the IL-112 aircraft will replace not only the AN-26, but will also compete with world-class transport aircraft of this class.”
Light military transport aircraft Il-112V is designed for transporting and parachuting of light weaponry and equipment, cargoes and military personnel, as well as for transporting a wide variety of cargoes when operated in commercial service.
It is capable of auto landing approaches to categorized aerodromes (minimum requirement being ICAO category II) and manual landing approaches to aerodromes poorly equipped with, or having no radio technical equipment.
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U.S. Navy awards contract for support of TH-57 Sea Ranger fleet
The U.S. Navy has awarded a modification to a previously awarded contract to Vertex Aerospace LLC from Mississippi for support of TH-57 Sea Ranger fleet.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, this modification increases the ceiling and extends the period of performance of the contract to provide additional TH-57 Sea Ranger logistics support services and materials for organizational and depot level maintenance in support of the TH-57 fleet.
The TH-57 Sea Ranger is a derivative of the commercial Bell Jet Ranger 206. Although primarily used for training, these aircraft are also used for photo, chase and utility missions.
The Jet Ranger was initially designed to compete in a U.S. Army light observation helicopter competition. Bell lost that competition but the 206 was commercially successful. The TH-57 Sea Ranger provides advanced instrument flight rules (IFR) training to several hundred aviation students a year at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Milton, Florida.
Work will be performed in Milton, Florida, and is expected to be completed in May 2019.
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General Atomics gets $34 million foreign MQ-9 Block 5 aircraft contract
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. has been awarded a $34,3 million foreign military sales contract for MQ-9 Block 5 remotely piloted aircraft.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced on 29 March that General Atomics has been awarded a $34,3 million contract action for the Spain MQ-9 Block 5 procurement undefinitized contract action definitization effort.
As noted by the U.S. Department of Defense, this contract provides for the procurement of two MQ-9 aircraft and associated equipment.
Work will be performed in Poway, California with an estimated completion date of March 2020.
For reference, MQ-9 is highly modular and is easily configured with a variety of payloads to meet mission requirements. The aircraft is capable of carrying multiple mission payloads and includes a state-of-the art Detect and Avoid (DAA) system including space, weight, and power provisions to enable the retrofitting of an airborne Due Regard Radar (DRR) for operation in non-cooperative airspace.
The MQ-9 Reaper is an armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft that is employed primarily against dynamic execution targets and secondarily as an intelligence collection asset. Given its significant loiter time, wide-range sensors, multi-mode communications suite, and precision weapons — it provides a unique capability to perform strike, coordination, and reconnaissance against high-value, fleeting, and time-sensitive targets.
Reapers can also perform the following missions and tasks: intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, close air support, combat search and rescue, precision strike, buddy-lase, convoy/raid overwatch, target development, and terminal air guidance. The MQ-9’s capabilities make it uniquely qualified to conduct irregular warfare operations in support of combatant commander objectives.
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U.S. Army awards contract to L3 for next-generation mortar fuzes
L-3 Fuzing and Ordnance Systems Inc. from Cincinnati has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army for next-generation mortar fuzes.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced on Friday that L-3 company has received $10,8 million modification to contract W15QKN-17-C-0024 for procurement of M734A1 multi-option fuze.
“Work will be performed in Cincinnati, Ohio, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2020,” noted in a statement.
The M734A1 fuzes are the U.S. Army’s next-generation, NATO-standard electronic fuzes for mortars and are used to support close range, indirect fire support to infantry units in
combat operations.
The bases M734 multi-option fuze is a rangefinder and collision detection system used on mortar shells as a trigger to detonate the shells at the most damaging heights of burst.
A typical mortar firing procedure is for a squad leader to select a target and call for one of the four fuze settings. A gunner sights the mortar onto the target and an ammunition bearer sets the fuze. An assistant gunner drops the shell into the tube upon a command to fire from the squad leader.
L3 specializes in the development and manufacture of advanced fuzing products, sensors and safety devices. These products are utilized in numerous artillery, mortar, and air-dropped munitions, as well as rockets, missiles, and other advanced weapon systems.
L3 is also a prime contractor in aerospace systems, security and detection systems, and pilot training.
reported 2016 sales of $10.5 billion
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U.S. Army awards contract for research and testing of high-speed vehicle concepts
CUBRC Inc., a leading Research, Development, Testing and Systems Integration company, has been awarded a $23,2 modification to contract from the U.S. Army Contracting Command.
“CUBRC Inc., Buffalo, New York, was awarded a $23,208,996 modification (P00010) to contract W31P4Q-15-D-0015,” the U.S. Defense Department said on Friday.
The modification contract includes research and testing of high-speed vehicle concepts and analysis of supersonic and hypersonic vehicles and their components. Work on the high-speed vehicle concepts is expected to be completed by Feb. 22, 2020, with the US Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG) in Maryland functioning as the contracting activity.
CUBRC is an independent not-for-profit research and development company specializing in the areas of Chemical, Biological and Medical Defense, Data Science and Information Fusion and Aeronautics.
CUBRC serves as prime contractor and systems integrator for the US Government and has over 30 years of experience combining innovative ideas and state-of-the-art technology and test facilities to help solve some of the most critical and challenging problems facing our Defense, Intelligence and Homeland Security communities.
CUBRC is headquartered in Buffalo, New York.
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Here's Everything That Happened In Another Week Of Interminable Brexit Hell
In which a Tory MP votes to remain, becomes a Brexiteer, votes against the deal, votes for the deal, suggests he doesn't back the deal, and then votes for it again.
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Rolling Stones delay tour as Jagger seeks medical treatment
The Rolling Stones have postponed a tour of the United States and Canada to give singer Mick Jagger time to receive medical treatment, the veteran rock band said on Saturday.
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Canadian Prime Minister Under More Pressure Over Shielding SNC-Lavalin From Prosecution After Secret Tape Is Released
Daily Mail: Pressure mounts on Justin Trudeau as former Justice Minister releases 40-page document alleging government pressure to shield Canadian company SNC-Lavalin from prosecution
* Canadian PM Justin Trudeau is under mounting pressure amid SNC-Lavalin saga
* A former justice minister says government officials tried to persuade her to shield SNC-Lavalin from prosecution
* Jody Wilson-Raybould made public documents indicating government coercion
* The crisis may well threaten Trudeau's reelection chances in a vote this October
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under mounting pressure after his former justice minister released documents relating to a major corruption scandal.
Former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould says government officials tried to persuade her to shield SNC-Lavalin from prosecution.
Wilson-Raybould made public around 40 pages of documents revealing more details of what she said were attempts by officials to force her change her mind even after she insisted they desist.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: This release of a secret recording is damaging to Prime Minister Trudeau's narrative on this scandal. It contradicts what he and his staff have been saying, and it only adds to the case that the Prime Minister intervened into a criminal case to protect a major Canadian company. I do not see how he can recover from it, and with Canadians going to the polls in 7 months, there is now a very good chance that he will be defeated in the polls.
More News On The SNC-Lavalin Scandal
PM wanted SNC-Lavalin deal 'one way or another,' Wernick told Wilson-Raybould in secretly recorded call -- CBC
Canadian ex-attorney general releases secret recording implicating Trudeau -- France 24
Secret tape increases pressure on Trudeau in SNC-Lavalin affair -- BBC
Justin Trudeau hit with secret recording of aide pressing for end of corruption case against Canadian company -- FOX News
Trudeau wasn’t briefed on conversation between Wilson-Raybould and Wernick due to holidays, lawyer says -- Toronto Star
Phone call leaves Liberals’ SNC-Lavalin narrative — and excuses — in complete tatters -- Rob Breakenridge, Global News
Wilson-Raybould recording brings SNC-Lavalin affair crashing back to reality -- Andrew Coyne, National Post
JWR has evidence, Trudeau has crumbling stories -- Brian Lilley, Toronto Sun
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Ukraine’s Voters Go To The Polls This Sunday To Choose The Next Leader Of The Country
The Guardian: Ukraine's candidates push limits of 'quiet day' before polls open
Country bans campaigning on day before an election, but candidates find ways around rule
Presidential candidates in Ukraine are banned from campaigning the day before Sunday’s highly contested vote. But Ukraine’s “quiet day” has not been all that quiet.
Turn on television channel 1+1 and you’re likely to see the poll leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy starring in his own comedy show, Kvartal 95. Later on Saturday evening, 1+1 will broadcast a biopic about Ronald Reagan, another actor-turned-politician, with his voice dubbed by Zelenskiy.
On Instagram, posts by President Petro Poroshenko show him praying for “Ukrainian unity” alongside senior members of the church and army veterans. An article on his government website explained that the group also prayed “for the wisdom of the people who tomorrow will decide the future of Ukraine”.
Read more ....
More News On Ukraine's Election
Comedian leads presidential polling in Ukraine -- AP
Campaigning Ends In Ukraine Ahead Of Presidential Vote -- RFE
Comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy played a president on TV, now favorite in Ukraine's real-life presidential election -- ABC News
Ukraine Presidential Election 2019: Polls, Candidates and Issues As Zelenskiy, Tymoshenko and Poroshenko Face Off -- Newsweek
Ukraine gears up to hold tight presidential election -- Al Jazeera
In Ukraine's election, a comedian might be voters' best choice -- Michael Bociurkiw, CNN
Ukraine Goes to the Polls on Sunday. Can Its Next President End the Frozen War With Russia? -- Madeline Roache, Time
Ukraine at the crossroads -- Bohdan Nahaylo, Asia Times
Timeline: Events in Ukraine's political history since 1991 -- Reuters
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President Trump To Cut Foreign Aid For Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador
NBC: Trump administration says it will cut foreign aid for Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador
Some Democrats said the move "will only result in more children and families being forced to make the dangerous journey north to the U.S.-Mexico border."
The Trump administration said Saturday that it intends to end foreign assistance programs for Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, a move that Democrats called “reckless” and “counterproductive” in addressing the problems that cause people to flee to the U.S.
A State Department spokesperson said that “at the Secretary’s instruction, we are carrying out the President’s direction and ending FY 2017 and FY 2018 foreign assistance programs for the Northern Triangle,” a term that refers to the three countries.
The spokesperson said "we will be engaging Congress as part of this process," which could mean it needs Congress' approval to end funding.
The aid affects nearly $500 million in 2018 funds and millions more left over from the previous fiscal year. The money was destined for Central America but had not been spent yet, the Washington Post reported.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: I am skeptical the Congress will end funding. In the meantime President Trump is upping the pressure .... Trump threatens to close border 'next week' if Mexico doesn't 'immediately stop' flood of illegal immigrants (FOX News). Meanwhile at the border the crisis continues .... 'We’ve never seen anything like this': As Trump threatens to close border, migrants overwhelm Texas cities (USA Today).
More News On President Trump Vowing To Cut Foreign Aid For Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador
Donald Trump cuts financial assistance to Northern Triangle countries Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala and claims 'they haven't done a thing for us' -- Daily Mail
U.S. ending aid to El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras over migrants -- Reuters
Trump cuts all direct assistance to Northern Triangle countries Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala -- GMA
U.S. cuts off federal aid to Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras -- Axios
Trump Orders Cut to Financial Aid to Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala - Reports -- Sputnik
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UK Prime Minister May's Government Risks 'Total Collapse' Because Of Brexit
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks in the Parliament in London, Britain, March 29, 2019 in this screen grab taken from video. Reuters TV via REUTERS
Reuters: UK's May risks 'total collapse' of government in Brexit impasse: Sunday Times
LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May risks the “total collapse” of her government if she fails to get her battered Brexit deal through parliament, the Sunday Times newspaper said, amid growing speculation that she might call an early election.
Underscoring the tough choices facing May to break the Brexit impasse, the newspaper said at least six pro-European Union senior ministers will resign if she opts for a potentially damaging no-deal departure from the EU.
But at the same time, rival ministers who support Brexit were threatening to quit if May decides to stay close to the EU with a customs union or if she sought a long delay to Brexit, the Sunday Times said.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Her advisers are unsure of an early election .... Advisors to UK's May divided over snap election - Mail on Sunday (Reuters). The polls are saying that an early election would be close .... UK election polls latest: Would Theresa May WIN if SNAP election was called tomorrow? (Express). What's my take. An election at this time with British Prime Minister Theresa May leading the Tories will result in one thing .... the annihilation of the Tories.
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President Trump Tweets That Navy SEAL Charged With War Crimes Will Be Moved To 'Less Restrictive Confinement'
In honor of his past service to our Country, Navy Seal #EddieGallagher will soon be moved to less restrictive confinement while he awaits his day in court. Process should move quickly! @foxandfriends @RepRalphNorman— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 30, 2019
Daily Mail: Trump says Navy SEAL accused of murdering a 15-year-old terrorist and other war crimes will be moved to better jail conditions before trial
* Trump said on Saturday that Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher would be 'moved to less restrictive confinement' while he awaits trial for war crimes
* Gallagher is a 14-year Navy SEAL vet and is accused of murdering a 15-year-old ISIS militant in his care and opening sniper rounds at civilians
* The 39-year-old is jailed at the Naval Consolidated Brig Miramar in California awaiting his May 28 trial for his war crimes
* House Republicans filed a letter to Navy Secretary Richard Spencer last week to request Gallagher be transferred to another location
* The letter alleges there he lacks food, medical care, and access to his lawyers
* His family says that Gallagher as suffered 'abhorrent treatment' at the prison for the past seven months
President Donald Trump has said that a Navy SEAL who is accused of war crimes will be moved to better jail conditions while he awaits trial.
Edward 'Eddie' Gallagher, 39, is currently jailed in military prison Naval Consolidated Brig Miramar in California on charges of premeditated murder and aggravated assault.
'In honor of his past service to our Country, Navy Seal #EddieGallagher will soon be moved to less restrictive confinement while he awaits his day in court. Process should move quickly!' Trump wrote in a tweet on Saturday morning.
The president tweeted from Mar-a-lago in Florida, shortly before departing for Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher has a lot of political support .... Lawmakers want Navy SEAL released from the brig ahead of war crimes trial (Navy Times).
More News On President Trump Saying That Navy SEAL Charged With War Crimes Will Be Moved To 'Less Restrictive Confinement'
Trump steps in to help Navy SEAL charged with murder -- AP
Tweeting Trump injects White House into SEAL war crimes case -- Navy Times
Trump intervenes in case of Navy SEAL charged with murder -- Politico
Trump says Navy SEAL charged with war crimes will be moved to 'less restrictive confinement' -- The Hill
Trump: Navy SEAL charged with murder moving to 'less restrictive confinement' -- CNN
Trump says Navy SEAL accused of war crimes will be moved to ‘less restrictive confinement’ -- FOX News
Trump says Navy Seal accused of war crimes will be moved to 'less restrictive confinement' -- The Independent
Trump says Navy SEAL accused of a brutal killing to be moved 'to less restrictive confinement' -- Business Insider
Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher ‘Will Soon be Moved to Less Restrictive Confinement:’ Trump -- Epoch Times
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Is The Pentagon Shifting Away From the Use Of Drones?
U.S. airmen prepare a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone as it leaves on a mission at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan March 9, 2016. Picture taken March 9, 2016. REUTERS/Josh Smith
Paul D. Shinkman, US News and World Report: The Decline of the Drone
The technology that defined U.S. counterterror wars is beginning to wane in importance as the Pentagon looks to threats posed by Russia and China.
The secretive and lethal technology that has defined U.S. counterterror operations for the last decade – and remains the subject of global controversy – appears to be diminishing in importance as America prepares for the next era of combat.
New Pentagon documents show the military plans to invest next year in the lowest number of new drones in more than a decade. Though the complexity of Defense Department budgets makes it difficult to isolate a single reason for the shift, budget analysts agree the Trump administration's stated intention of withdrawing from costly and deadly Middle East wars and instead focus on a resurging China and Russia is driving a focus on other technologies.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: It would be a mistake if they did.
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Using Fish To Moinitor Underwater Drones And Submarines
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is launching the Persistent Aquatic Living Sensors program to gather the responses of living things to underwater vehicles and relay the information through a network of man-made hardware. (DARPA)
Scientific American: Military Tries Out Fish as Underwater Spies
The sophisticated sensing behaviors of marine organisms could serve as a surveillance system that aids national security
We humans often watch and wonder at wildlife. But a defense agency’s new initiative turns the tables—it aims to deploy marine animals to keep an eye on human activity.
The agency wants to know if sea life ranging from bioluminescent plankton to goliath grouper can serve as components of underwater surveillance systems capable of detecting the enemy’s oceangoing drones, large nuclear submarines and other underwater vehicles. The research effort is called Persistent Aquatic Living Sensors (PALS).
Many marine animals respond audibly or visibly to sound, optical, electromagnetic and chemical shifts in the water around them. For instance, schools of black sea bass change their behavior when disturbed by underwater vehicles, and certain microbes react to the magnetic signatures of submarines. Existing surveillance technology can pick up this behavior but typically has treated it as background noise.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: There is more information here .... From shellfish to plankton, DARPA program turns creatures into sensors (Navy Times).
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U.S., Russia, And Others Oppose Banning 'Killer Robots'
The Guardian: UK, US and Russia among those opposing killer robot ban
UN delegates discuss restrictions to lethal autonomous weapons systems that use AI
The UK government is among a group of countries that are attempting to thwart plans to formulate and impose a pre-emptive ban on killer robots.
Delegates have been meeting at the UN in Geneva all week to discuss potential restrictions under international law to so-called lethal autonomous weapons systems, which use artificial intelligence to help decide when and who to kill.
Most states taking part – and particularly those from the global south – support either a total ban or strict legal regulation governing their development and deployment, a position backed by the UN secretary general, António Guterres, who has described machines empowered to kill as “morally repugnant”.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The Pentagon position is very .... The Pentagon is ‘Absolutely Unapologetic’ About Pursuing AI-Powered Weapons (NextGov).
Yup .... Killer Robots Already Exist, And They've Been Here a Very Long Time (Science Alert).
More News On The Movement To Ban "Killer Robots"
US and Russia leading opponents of ban on killer robots -- Digital Journal
US, Russia Lead Efforts to Prevent Global Ban on Killer Robots -- Antiwar.com
Japan Calls For Stricter Control on AI Killer Robots -- Interesting Engineering
Resistance to killer robots growing -- DW
Scientists plead to stop creation of killer robots: We're at 'the brink of a new arms race' -- FOX News
Ban killer robots, while you still can: Nobel prize winners call for UN to outlaw autonomous weapons before 'a third revolution in warfare' is waged by criminals and terrorists -- Daily Mail
He Helped Create A.I. Now, He Worries About ‘Killer Robots.’ -- The New York Times
Killer robots: ‘do something’ or ‘do nothing’? -- Simon Bradley, Swissinfo
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Editor's Note
Taking some badly needed R&R today. Blogging will return this evening.
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U.S. Military Test One-Use Delivery Drones
Sputnik: The Expendables: US Military Test One-Use Delivery Drones (VIDEO)
An innovation company based in California has announced it successfully concluded a series of flight tests for delivery drone with the US Marine Corps.
The unmanned aircraft were tried by the US military to see if they can transport heavy supplies over long distances, and to be thrown away after each use.
Logistic Gliders Inc. (LGI) tested two of their gliders, made of cheap plywood, the LG-1K model (can carry about 300kg) and the LG-2K model (700kg)
Read more ....
WNU Editor: At a cost of a few hundred dollars each, I can see these drones being widely used.
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Here Are 6 Of NATO's Worst Crises In 70 Years
A Polish army PT-91 tank during NATO exercise Silver Arrow 2017 in Latvia. Ints Kalnins/Reuters
Business Insider: These are 6 of NATO's worst crises in 70 years as the world's most powerful military alliance
* During the Cold War, NATO effectively defended Western Europe with US nuclear weapons.
* Twelve countries signed the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949, and NATO has since grown to 29 countries, including former Soviet states bordering Russia, which has angered Moscow.
* Here are six occasions, from the building of the Berlin Wall to the September 11 attacks, that NATO faced a crisis.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a pact launched 70 years ago in the ashes of World War II to face Stalin's Soviet threat and bind Western Europe and the US together, is the world's foremost military alliance.
The success of its deterrent power can be seen in a simple reality: NATO's first combat mission only came after the Soviet Union's collapse.
During the Cold War, NATO effectively defended Western Europe with US nuclear weapons, as NATO's office of the historian notes.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: A reminder that the Cold War was not a pleasant experience for all who had to live under it.
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Tweets For Today
Brexit: EU leaders plan for no deal as other options dissolve https://t.co/UHaoIjjhnz
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 30, 2019
#UPDATE A new blackout hits Caracas and other major Venezuelan cities, the third major electricity outage in the crisis-plagued country this month https://t.co/ACcsychv9F pic.twitter.com/oXgMvXHaG2
— AFP news agency (@AFP) March 30, 2019
Exclusive: National security adviser John Bolton said the Trump administration is eyeing 'secondary sanctions' for Venezuela in order to cut off revenues to President Nicolas Maduro pic.twitter.com/nLYwAxDCRO
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) March 30, 2019
Crossing the River http://t.co/zTcZ95k4ja
— English Russia (@EnglishRussia1) May 27, 2015
Officials say Offutt Air Force Base has returned to full operation in Nebraska after its runway and dozens of buildings were inundated by floodwaters from the nearby Missouri River earlier this month. https://t.co/OV3Xeh2c4B
— AP Central U.S. (@APCentralRegion) March 29, 2019
Handle with care!
— U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) March 29, 2019
A @USAirForce airman checks the component alignment of a GBU-38 guided bomb. Proper alignment prevents malfunction and requires great attention to detail. pic.twitter.com/ayEVlM8uT1
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Picture Of The Day
Fighters from the Kurdish Women's Protection units (YPJ) participate in a military parade on 27 March 2019, celebrating the total elimination of the Daesh group's (banned in Russia) last bastion in eastern Syria, in the northwestern city of Hasakah, in the province of the same name. © AFP 2019 / Delil Souleiman
WNU Editor: The above picture is from this photo-gallery .... This Week in Pictures: 23 - 29 March (Spuntik).
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Life In Venezuela Has Returned To The Middle Ages
AFP: Venezuela returns to 'Middle Ages' during power outages
Caracas (AFP) - Walking for hours, making oil lamps, bearing water. For Venezuelans today, suffering under a new nationwide blackout that has lasted days, it's like being thrown back to life centuries ago.
El Avila, a mountain that towers over Caracas, has become a place where families gather with buckets and jugs to fill up with water, wash dishes and scrub clothes. The taps in their homes are dry from lack of electricity to the city's water pumps.
"We're forced to get water from sources that obviously aren't completely hygienic. But it's enough for washing or doing the dishes," said one resident, Manuel Almeida.
Because of the long lines of people, the activity can take hours of waiting.
Elsewhere, locals make use of cracked water pipes. But they still need to boil the water, or otherwise purify it.
"We're going to bed without washing ourselves," said one man, Pedro Jose, a 30-year-old living in a poorer neighborhood in the west of the capital.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The above video is from two weeks ago, but it still applies today. As for the current blackout, it is still continuing .... Caracas and other cities hit by new blackout – Venezuela crisis (TRT).
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ISIS Leader Planned His Escape Years Before The Fall Of The Islamic
An image grab from a July 5, 2014 propaganda video allegedly shows the leader of the Islamic State jihadist group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, addressing Muslim worshipers at a mosque in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Photo: AFP / Al-Furqan Media
Asia Times: ISIS prepped Baghdadi escape years before defeat
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his top leadership are likely in the impenetrable Syrian desert, long prepped for territorial setbacks
Long before the fall of his physical empire, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, was hunkered down with his top command and most loyal fighters, most likely in the impenetrable Syrian desert region known as the Badia.
“Certainly he is still alive, he did not participate in any battle and was not close to any battlefield,” said Hisham al-Hashemi, a Baghdad-based terrorism expert.
“The ISIS security detail that guards Baghdadi knows that keeping the Caliph alive is more important than maintaining the Caliphate,” he told Asia Times.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: My gut tells me that he is hiding in western Iraq.
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Remembering 'The Great Escape'
Stars and Stripes: US troops in Europe celebrate 75th anniversary of the Great Escape
American soldiers joined their Polish counterparts in Zagan, Poland, for two days of festivities over the weekend commemorating the 75th anniversary of the daring escape from a prisoner-of-war camp located there during World War II.
Though 73 of the 76 men were recaptured after fleeing Stalag Luft III through 334 feet of tunnels on that late March 1944 night, the event has come to be known as the Great Escape and was hailed for causing the Wehrmacht to expend manpower hunting down the escapees.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Great movie.
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Tonight's Movie Is 'The Enemy Below'
From Wikipedia: The Enemy Below is a 1957 DeLuxe Color war film in CinemaScope, which tells the story of the battle between an American destroyer escort and a German U-boat during World War II. The movie stars Robert Mitchum and Curt Jürgens as the American and German commanding officers, respectively, and was directed and produced by Dick Powell. The film was based on a novel by Denys Rayner, a British naval officer involved in anti-submarine warfare throughout the Battle of the Atlantic.
Read more ....
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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 29, 2019
Andrew Roth, The Guardian: Ukraine election: will voter anger propel TV comic to presidency?
Actor Vladimir Zelenskiy is tapping into the protest vote as favourite in Sunday’s vote
Ukraine goes to the polls on Sunday with a comic who plays the president on his own TV show the favourite to become the next president in a protest vote against the country’s leaders.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, an actor with no prior political experience, is likely to win the first round with a lead of up to 10% in some polls. Behind him are Petro Poroshenko, the current president who made a fortune from his confectionery empire, and Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister who has decried corruption and promised to boost pensions and cut heating bills. If no candidate wins a majority, the top two will face each other in a runoff later in April.
Read more ....
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 29, 2019
Crisis-hit Ukraine desperate for savior in presidential election -- Roman Goncharenko, DW
How To Watch (And Understand) Ukraine's Presidential Election -- Christopher Miller, RFE
Russia Enjoys the Show in Tight Ukrainian Election -- Evan Gershkovich, Moscow Times
Quit Harping on U.S. Aid to Israel -- James Kirchick, The Atlantic
The Islamic State Was a Sham -- Daniel R. DePetris, National Interest
Algerian protesters reject military's gambit to maintain power -- Simon Speakman Cordall, Al-Monitor
Escalating the US Air War in Afghanistan Isn’t Working -- Bonnie Kristian, Defense One
Thailand election: Full vote count in but no winner yet -- BBC
China's Twenty-First Century Difficulties -- Leland Lazarus & John Brunetti, National Interest
In China, Yet Another Course Correction -- Phillip Orchard, Geopolitical Futures
Pakistan Doesn’t Want Modi to Win -- Fahd Humayun, Foreign Policy
The Guardian view on Theresa May’s defeat: three strikes and out -- Guardian editorial
The Kosovo War in Retrospect -- James Goldgeier and Gorana Grgić, War On The Rocks
NATO is the obstacle to improving Russian-Western relations -- Ruslan Pukhov, DEfense News
Venezuela leadership duel galvanized by US, Russia rivalry -- AFP
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World News Briefs -- March 29, 2019 (Evening Edition)
Euronews: Final day of campaigning in Ukraine elections
Politicians in Ukraine will be finishing their electoral campaigns today, ahead of Sunday's presidential election.
There are a total of 39 candidates on the ballot paper, but comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy leads the latest polls.
If no candidates win a majority of the votes, a second vote between the top two will take place.
Read more ....
MIDDLE EAST
Iraqi leader says there’s ‘consensus’ on US troops presence.
Saudi Arabia says Syrian opposition must unite before any dialogue with government.
A 'tragic life' for the displaced in Syria's Al-Hol camp.
Turkey rejects US pressure over Russian S-400 missile deal.
Erdogan fights to hold Turkey's cities in bitter election battle.
US calls for probe into Yemen hospital bombing.
Hamas backs Egypt proposal for calm on Israel border: officials.
Palestinians urge large turnout for Great March of Return year anniversary.
ASIA
Trump says N.Korea suffering, doesn't need new sanctions.
Two weeks before India starts voting, Modi predicts easy victory.
Pakistan PM's remarks on Afghan peace process stir diplomatic row.
South Korea's Moon to meet Trump over stalled North Korea talks.
China thanks Kazakhstan for 'support' of Xinjiang crackdown.
Vietnam GDP growth hit by swine flu, weakened exports.
20,000 attend memorial for victims of New Zealand mosque attack.
Bangladesh fire in high-rise office building kills 25 people.
AFRICA
At least three dead in gunfight in Comoros after opposition moves to unseat president.
Burundi begins mass release of prisoners.
Loyalist calls for president to quit fail to end Algeria protests.
Tunisia detains UN Libya arms embargo official.
Congo president allows senators to take office, ending feud with predecessor's camp.
Nigeria court revokes bail for missing separatist leader.
UN food agency launches appeal for Mozambique relief funds.
Cyclone-hit Mozambique fears cholera epidemic.
Trump to host Egypt's Sisi on April 9.
Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah released from jail after five years.
EUROPE
France blocks US trade talks, angering EU: diplomats.
No-deal Brexit fears rise as parliament sinks May's deal.
UK faces new Brexit crisis after lawmakers reject May’s deal.
MPs reject May's EU withdrawal agreement. The Latest: UK lawmakers vote “No” on May’s Brexit deal.
EU Commission says no-deal Brexit on April 12 'likely'.
Ukraine minister: President and rival both bribing voters.
Separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine divides young voters.
Italy coalition in bitter row over sexual violence law.
Germany declines to recognize Juan Guaido's Berlin emissary.
Berlin police carry out massive raids against organized crime.
Kosovo bans ALL gambling for a decade after two casino workers were murdered in a week.
AMERICAS
Mueller report to be released by mid-April: attorney general.
Trump threatens to close border with Mexico 'next week'.
Fired-up Trump pushes ‘no collusion’ angle in Russia report. Trump blasts ongoing Dem investigations: 'Ridiculous bulls---'.
Mexico braces for new caravan of Central American migrants.
Trump says will probably talk to Russia's Putin about Venezuela.
Bolton: Russia, others sending troops to Venezuela is 'direct threat' to region's security.
Venezuela crisis: Guaidó banned from office for 15 years.
Google is an unlikely messenger between Trump and Cuba, insider says.
Homelessness rises in Argentina’s capital amid crisis.
Mexico raises alert level after Popocatepetl volcano eruption.
TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR
US-led coalition: 1,257 civilians killed in airstrikes against ISIS.
UN Security Council binding resolution makes terror financing a serious crime.
'Life was better under ISIS': Inside the terror group's devastated former stronghold of Mosul where conditions are so bad some desperate locals want the extremists to RETURN.
ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS
Markets Right Now: Stocks up broadly; Lyft soars 8.7 percent.
Ride-hailing company Lyft rises in Wall Street premiere.
US, China set to resume 'candid' trade talks in Washington.
Huawei sales top $100bn despite US-led pressure.
Investigators 'believe Ethiopian 737 Max's anti-stall system activated'. Boeing Ethiopia crash probe 'finds anti-stall device activated'.
GOP senator demands info on Google's work in China.
Oil prices on track to see one of best quarters in decade.
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Footage posted to social media shows chaotic scenes in Senegal's capital, Dakar. from BBC News https://ift.tt/4LItBfF
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks with Senator John McCain on Capitol Hill in 2016. NATO photo CNBC: NATO is considering na... -
DAKAR, Dec 17 (IPS) - Masters of Laws student Khoudia Ndiaye will graduate from Senegal's University Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) next year....
