Military

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 15 MADRID (AP) — The Latest on the final day of the NATO summit in Madrid: Sweden plans to send additional military support to Ukraine, including anti-tank weapons, support weapons and demining equipment that it says Kyiv had requested. The hardware is worth approximately 500 million kronor ($49 million). “It is important that the support to Ukraine from the democratic countries in Europe is continuous and long-term,” Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist said, according to the Swedish news agency TT. He didn’t say when and how the equipment would be delivered but said, “It is in everyone’s interest that it is delivered as quickly as possible.” Sweden was invited at a NATO summit this week to join the Western military alliance. ___ — US boosting military presence in Europe amid Russia threat — NATO calls … [Read more...] about Live updates | Sweden sends more military aid to Ukraine

It's hard to imagine, but until Monday a high school coach could be fired for taking a knee to pray at a football game in America. A coach was well within his constitutional rights to take a knee to protest the national anthem, but petitioning the Almighty was forbidden. All that changed thanks to a man named Joe Kennedy of Bremerton, Washington—a Marine Corps veteran, a high school football coach and a devout Christian. In 2015 Coach Joe was fired from his job as an assistant coach at the local high school after he disobeyed a school directive banning him from saying post-game prayers on the 50-yard line. Coach Joe had been offering those prayers for eight years without incident—inspired by the faith-based football film Facing the Giants . The coach was moved by the film's message to praise God regardless of what happened on the field. But the school district determined that the coach's brief prayers constituted a violation of the law—separation of God and gridiron. … [Read more...] about Football coach wins right to pray on field | Opinion

Throughout her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II has traveled in the height of luxury, whether by land, sea or air. On June 30, the British royal household published its financial report for the year 2021-2022, giving a glimpse of how the monarch and the working members of her family get from A to B and how much it all costs. In total, over the last financial year the royals spent £4.5 million ($5.4 million) on travel , including the official tours undertaken by Prince Charles , Prince William and Kate Middleton , as well as some minor working royals. But how do the British royals travel and what methods do they have at their disposal? Newsweek has the answers. Helicopters One of the main methods of domestic travel for the queen and the working members of her family is by helicopter . Over her reign, the monarch has had a number of helicopters at her disposal with husband, Prince Philip, learning to fly the aircraft himself. The queen currently relies on two … [Read more...] about How the queen and royals travel in style: from helicopters to private jets

When Russia's Vladimir Putin began a military invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, it was widely assumed that Ukraine would surrender quickly. Instead, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky—an actor-turned-politician famous for playing an actor-turned-politician in Servant of the People —refused to budge, withstood multiple assassination attempts and rallied his people to fight. He pleaded with the international community to implement sanctions on the Russians and to provide weapons and ammunition for the Ukrainians. How did Zelensky accomplish this transformation? Where did he first take Putin's measure? Read about it in this exclusive advance look from Ukrainian journalist and political commentator Serheii Rudenko's upcoming Zelensky: A Biography (Polity Books, July 18), in which he explores Zelensky's life and governing style, from his childhood through the beginnings of the war. In the beginning was the word. Or rather, several words. And, more precisely, the name of … [Read more...] about New Zelensky biography reveals first meeting with Putin: ‘bundle of nerves’

I have only two regrets in life: turning back just short of the summit while climbing Mt. Everest; and not joining the military when young. For an ultra-nationalist patriot like me, not having defended my country in Siachen is hard to digest. So I had my hopes pinned on the Jalpath scheme. But it drowned in government lethargy. Then I thought I would enlist when the Vayupath scheme is announced. But that one never took off. When I heard about Agnipath , I thought I’d finally get my chance to join the army and shoot the momos out of the bad guys across the border. Unfortunately, the Agnipath scheme’s upper age limit is 23. So once again, I’ve had to submerge my idli of anticipation in the sambar of disappointment and swallow the kashayam of frustration. ALSO READ: IAF receives over 1.83 lakh applications under Agnipath scheme in six days But I am not alone. Millions of young patriots feel the same way. Don’t get me wrong — I believe Agnipath is a great scheme. But that … [Read more...] about Satire | Some ideas to improve Agnipath

LONDON (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday rejected British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's charge that if he were a woman he would not have invaded Ukraine. Speaking at a news conference in the early hours of Thursday during a visit to Turkmenistan, Putin pointed to former British leader Margaret Thatcher's decision to send troops into the Falklands as a rebuttal of Johnson's theory. Johnson on Wednesday dubbed Putin's decision to launch what Moscow calls a "special military operation" against Ukraine a "perfect example of toxic masculinity" and mocked Putin's macho posturing. Hitting back, Putin told reporters: "I just want to recall the events of recent history, when Margaret Thatcher decided to launch military operations against Argentina for the Falkland Islands. So, a woman took the decision to launch military action. "Therefore it's not an entirely accurate reference from the British Prime Minister to what is happening today." The Russian leader … [Read more...] about Putin rejects Johnson’s claim a woman wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine

(Reuters) - U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner goes on trial in Russia on Friday on drug charges that could see her face up to 10 years in jail, in a case that highlights the already fraught relations between Moscow and Washington. Griner, a star player in the U.S.-based Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on Feb. 17, just days before Russia invaded Ukraine, unleashing a broader confrontation with the West. Russian authorities said the 31-year-old was carrying vape cartridges containing hashish oil, a substance illegal in the country. She was charged with smuggling a large quantity of drugs, an offence that can carry up to 10 years in jail. U.S. officials and a score of athletes have called for the release of Griner - or "BG" as she is known in the basketball community. They say she has been wrongfully detained and should be immediately returned to her family in the United States. Griner's detention also prompted … [Read more...] about Russia to open trial against U.S. basketball star Griner

KYIV (Reuters) -Russian forces have withdrawn from Ukraine's Snake Island, a strategic outpost in the Black Sea, Russia's defence ministry and Ukraine's president's office said on Thursday. "KABOOM! No Russian troops on the Snake Island anymore. Our Armed Forces did a great job," Andriy Yermak, head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office, wrote on Twitter. Russia's defence ministry confirmed Russian troops had withdrawn from Snake Island, calling it a "goodwill gesture" and saying the troops had fulfilled the tasks assigned to them. The Russian ministry added the move showed Russia was not impeding U.N. efforts to organise a humanitarian corridor to export agricultural products out of Ukraine. Snake Island, which Russia occupied on the first day of its invasion, achieved fame when Ukrainian border guards stationed there rejected a Russian warship's demand for their surrender. Ukraine's southern military command wrote on Facebook that following a successful … [Read more...] about Russian forces withdraw from Black Sea’s strategic Snake Island

Six of the G7 countries are members of NATO, while the seventh, Japan, is dependent on its defence on the United States. All, including Japan, can be broadly classified as the West. If the narrative in recent years has been that political and economic power has decisively shifted towards Asia and the West no longer dominates the world as it did traditionally, that recognition seems to be missing from the inordinately long communiqué that the G7 summit in Germany has issued. It is imperial in tone, carrying a sense that the G7 has the power to decide and dispense. After the 2008 financial crisis the G7 led by the US felt the need to enlist the cooperation of major economic powers outside the West to stabilise the global financial system through coordination of national policies. Besides India, China, the second largest economy, was included in a G20, which was raised from the existing Finance Minister to Summit level. Today, China is treated as an adversary, and the harshness of G7 … [Read more...] about As G7 Nations Come Together to Corner Russia, PM Modi Bats for Dialogue and Diplomacy

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday accused Iran of violating a UN Security Council resolution through a satellite launch and vowed repercussions. "I think Iran needs to be held accountable for what they've done," Pompeo told reporters. Iran announced Wednesday that it had put its first military satellite in orbit after repeated tries and despite intense economic and military pressure from President Donald Trump's administration. The Trump administration has long argued that Iran's satellite activities were a cover for ballistic missile work. "The Iranians have consistently said that these missile programs were disconnected from the military, that these were purely commercial enterprises," Pompeo said. "I think today's launch proves what we've been saying all along here in the United States," he said. "I think every nation has an obligation to go to the United Nations and evaluate whether this missile launch was consistent with that Security Council resolution. I … [Read more...] about Mike Pompeo Vows to Hold Iran ‘Accountable’ over Satellite Launch