Liwonde, Malawi | AFP | Under a scorching sun, a team of British soldiers and Malawian rangers sheltered under a tree ready to pounce on their prey: poachers. The combined force, armed with rifles and handcuffs, did not encounter any poachers as it patrolled the 530 square kilometre (240 square mile) …
Read More »US commander must ‘imagine the unimaginable’ on NKorea
Singapore, Singapore | AFP | The top US commander in the Pacific warned Tuesday he must “imagine the unimaginable” in responding to the threat posed by the North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme. Admiral Harry Harris, head of the US Pacific Command, made clear that while diplomacy remains the preferred option in …
Read More »Pentagon ready to increase support for Somalia after bomb
Washington, United States | AFP | The US military said Monday it is ready to boost its support for the Somali government after close to 300 people were killed in a massive truck bomb in Mogadishu. “We will be prepared to support the government of Somalia when they ask,” a …
Read More »N. Korea readies missile launch ahead of US-S. Korea drill: report
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea is believed to be preparing to launch a ballistic missile ahead of an upcoming joint naval drill by the US and South Korea, a news report said Saturday, citing a government source. The US navy said Friday that a US aircraft carrier …
Read More »N. Korea hacked Seoul’s war plan: report
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korean computer hackers have stolen hundreds of classified military documents from South Korea including detailed wartime operational plans involving its US ally, a report said Tuesday. Rhee Cheol-Hee, a lawmaker for the ruling Democratic party, said the hackers had broken into the South’s military …
Read More »Pentagon chief says US admin backs Tillerson’s North Korea effort
Washington, United States | AFP | Pentagon chief Jim Mattis tried to clear up doubts about the US administration’s North Korea strategy Tuesday, backing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s effort to find a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff. Defense Secretary Mattis was speaking two days after President Donald Trump appeared …
Read More »Military plane crashes in DR Congo
At least 11 dead as DR Congo army plane crashes Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | A transport plane chartered by the Congolese army crashed near Kinshasa on Saturday, killing at least 11 people, military and airport sources told AFP. The Antonov transporter had just taken off with “several dozen …
Read More »US calls N. Korea nuclear bomb test threat ‘shocking’
New Delhi, India | AFP | US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday it would be “shocking” irresponsibility for North Korea to carry out its threat to test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific. The new comments, made while Mattis headed for India, followed a shrill war of words between the …
Read More »US watchdog highlights flawed training of Afghan forces
Washington, United States | AFP | US efforts to train Afghanistan’s security forces are being hampered by slapdash instruction, shoddy oversight and governance failures, a watchdog warned Thursday as America sends thousands more troops to the war-torn nation. American assistance to the Afghan army and police has topped $70 billion since …
Read More »Trump eyes military parade for July 4 celebrations
United Nations, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Monday revealed plans to transform America’s Independence Day celebrations next July 4 into a vast military parade, styled on France’s Bastille Day. “We’re actually thinking about Fourth of July, Pennsylvania Avenue, having a really great parade to show our …
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