DTN News - GLOBAL HAWK DRONES: US Deploys First Advanced Drones To Japan, Improving Its Ability To Watch North Korea, China
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Eric Talmadge, The Associated Press
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 30, 2014: MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan – The U.S. Air Force has deployed two of its most advanced long-distance surveillance drones to a base in northern Japan over the past week, enhancing its ability to monitor nuclear activities in North Korea and Chinese naval operations.
The deployment of the two unarmed Global Hawk drones to Japan, a key U.S. ally, is intended to demonstrate Washington’s commitment to security in Asia as part of its rebalancing of forces to the Pacific. But it will likely rankle with China and North Korea, which have been working to improve their own unmanned aircraft fleets.
Lt. Gen. Sam Angelella, commander of U.S. Forces Japan, said Friday the drones will remain here until October, when the typhoon season on the drones’ home base on the Pacific island of Guam is over. Similar rotations from Guam to Misawa are expected in the future, though Angelella said no firm plans have been made. He refused to comment on the specific missions the drones will carry out but noted that the Global Hawk’s “capabilities are well known.”
The drone is considered particularly valuable because it can conduct long-range missions without the limitations of pilot fatigue, is able to fly at a maximum 60,000 feet (18.3 kilometres) and can “loiter” around any particular site of interest for 24 hours or more.
From Japan, it can easily monitor areas on the Asian mainland — including North Korea’s nuclear sites — or targets at sea — such as areas where China and other countries have had confrontations over territory.
The military keeps much of the Global Hawk’s work secret, but Angelella spoke of its use in humanitarian missions including Japan’s 2011 tsunami and the devastating typhoon that hit the Philippines last year. More recently, he said, the drone was used in surveillance work following the mass abduction of more than 300 girls in Nigeria by Islamic extremists.
The deployment of the drones will also help Japan familiarize itself with the aircraft. Tokyo plans to buy three Global Hawks.
Angelella said the aircraft has proven itself to be one of the most reliable in the Air Force. While still under development, the Global Hawk began supporting overseas contingency operations two months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. As of September last year, it had surpassed 100,000 flight hours, three-quarters of which were performed in combat.
Safety is a key factor in Japan because many U.S. bases here are located in heavily populated areas.
Under a mutual security pact, the U.S. maintains about 50,000 troops in Japan, which is home to several major air bases, the headquarters of the U.S. 7th Fleet and more than 10,000 Marines.
Though some residents of the city of Misawa have raised concerns about the drone deployment, opposition has been notably muted compared to the often emotional and deep-rooted protests against the deployment of new aircraft or troops on the southern Japan island of Okinawa, where most of the U.S. military in Japan is based.
But the deployment comes at a politically sensitive time.
Tokyo is now hotly debating a significant revamp of the role of its military forces, which have since World War II been rebuilt and are now one of the strongest in Asia, though they remain restricted to a narrowly defined strategy of national defence.
Citing the perceived threats from China and North Korea, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is championing an effort to change that and allow the Japanese military to be able to fight more closely with U.S. troops in contingencies.
Abe’s focus has been on what the Japanese military should be allowed to do when an ally defending Japan comes under attack — what the Japanese call collective self-defence. But opponents fear loosening restrictions will open the door for the Japanese military to be drawn into broader U.S. conflicts that don’t have a direct connection to Japan’s national defence.
*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Eric Talmadge, The Associated Press
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DTN News - UKRAINE CRISIS: Separatists Shoot Down Ukrainian Helicopter
*Rebels shoot down Ukraine military helicopter; 14 dead
Among victims is a Ukrainian general; rebel leader in Donetsk admits his fighters include Russian 'volunteers.'
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Haaretz
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 30, 2014: A Ukrainian Mi-24 military helicopter.
Pro-Russian separatists shot down a Ukrainian army helicopter on Thursday, killing 14 soldiers including a general, as government forces pressed ahead with an offensive to crush rebellions in the east swiftly following the election of a new president.
After weeks of accusations from Kiev of Russian involvement in the uprising, a rebel leader in the eastern city of Donetsk acknowledged that some of his fighters who died in the government offensive had been "volunteers" from Russia, saying their bodies were being returned home across the border.
In Kiev, acting president Oleksander Turchinov said the helicopter, which had been carrying supplies in eastern Ukraine, had been brought down by anti-aircraft fire from near the town of Slovyansk, which has been under the control of separatists since early April.
It was one of the heaviest losses inflicted by the separatists on the army in two months of unrest in Ukraine's eastern regions, and followed a fierce assault by government forces in which 50 or so rebels were killed earlier this week.
"I have just received information that terrorists using Russian anti-aircraft missiles shot down our helicopter near Slovyansk. It had been ferrying servicemen for a change of duty," Turchinov told parliament.
The bodies of some of the separatists killed this week when the Ukrainian military tried to regain control of Donetsk international airport were being prepared for return to Russia on Thursday, the rebel leader said.
In a stark admission that the rebels were being supported by Russian militia fighters, the leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, said: "Those who are volunteers from Russia will be taken to Russia today."
Interior minister Arsen Avakov accused the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin of being behind the airport violence. Weapons collected at the airport after the rebels were forced out by airstrikes and a paratroop assault had been brought in from Russia, he said.
"These are not our weapons - they were brought from Russia. Serial numbers, year of production, specific models ... I am publishing this photograph as proof of the aggression of the Putin regime," Avakov wrote on his Facebook page.
Kiev's leaders have long asserted that Russia, which annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in March, has fomented the separatist rebellions in the east of Ukraine with a view to bringing about dismemberment of the country.
Moscow denies this but they also allege that it is failing to stop Russian fighters from crossing the long land border into Ukraine together with truckloads of guns and live ammunition.
Defense Minister Mikhailo Koval said on Thursday: "We have put all our forces and equipment into the anti-terrorist operation. We have covered the whole state border."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday accused the West of pushing Ukraine into "the abyss of fratricidal war", and reiterated his call for an end to Kiev's military offensive.
Fierce Assault
The assault launched last Monday was the first time Kiev has unleashed its full military force against the fighters after weeks of restraint and came the day after Ukrainians overwhelmingly elected Petro Poroshenko as president.
Poroshenko, 48, a billionaire confectionary magnate who became the first Ukrainian since 1991 to win the presidency outright in a single round of voting, marked his clear victory by calling for a swift and effective offensive to crush the eastern rebellions.
Though he is unlikely to be inaugurated before June 7, Poroshenko will have an opportunity to meet Putin when both attend commemorations of the 70th anniversary of World War Two's "D-Day" landings in Normandy on June 6. On June 3, Poroshenko is also expected to have talks with U.S. President Barack Obama in Warsaw.
The separatist authorities say those who died on Monday and Tuesday included a truckload of wounded fighters blasted apart as they were driven away from the battlefield. The government said it suffered no losses in the operation, when its aircraft strafed the airport and paratroops landed to reclaim it.
At Donetsk's Kalinin morgue, where the dead from the violence were taken, 30 coffins were laid out in rows on Thursday.
"Yes. They're going to Russia," said an orthodox priest, who was edgy and did not wish to be named.
In another part of the morgue lay a local man, 43-year-old Mark Zverev, who had also been killed in the airport fighting. "Europe should know what is happening. He's not a terrorist. He is a defender of his home, of his people and of his land," said his mother, clutching his portrait.
A separatist leader in another part of the region acknowledged his men were holding four monitors from the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) who went missing in eastern Ukraine on Monday.
Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, whose group controls Slovyansk, said the OSCE had been warned not to travel in the area, but had sent a four-man team out all the same. He said they would be released soon.
The OSCE sent in about 300 observers to monitor compliance of an international accord for de-escalating the crisis in troubled eastern Ukraine, where separatists have seized control of strategic points in several towns.
*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Haaretz
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DTN News - INDIA NEWS: Narendra Modi Sworn In As India's 15th Prime Minister
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources NDTV
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 26, 2014: New Delhi: Narendra Damodar Modi, 63, took oath as India's Prime Minister on Monday evening. Almost 4000 people were present at the ceremony held in the forecourt of the magnificent Rashtrapati Bhavan. Lakhs more, including Mr Modi's mother, watched on television. (This is Narendra Modi's Council of Ministers)
Minutes after he was sworn in a new website of the Prime Minister's Office was launched with a short first message from Mr Modi. "On 16th May 2014 the people of India gave their verdict. They delivered a mandate for development, good governance and stability. As we devote ourselves to take India's development journey to newer heights, we seek your support, blessings and active participation." (Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Message to India)
The new PM also said, "Together we will script a glorious future for India. Let us together dream of a strong, developed and inclusive India that actively engages with the global community to strengthen the cause of world peace and development." He promised in his signed message to use the "website as a very important medium of direct communication between us."
Mr Modi invited leaders from eight South Asian neighbours to his swearing-in ceremony, including Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, an unprecedented gesture that was as much a show of his determination to be a key player on the global stage as a celebration of his stunning election victory 10 days ago.
At Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mr Sharif sat next to Mr Modi's predecessor, Manmohan Singh. On Dr Singh's other side was Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Nepal's Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay of Bhutan and Bangladesh parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin also attended. (At President's Dinner for SAARC Leaders, a Pan-Indian Menu)
After the ceremony, Mr Sharif was the first to shake hands with the new Prime Minister.
In the audience were two former presidents, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi of the defeated Congress, top industrialists, Bollywood actors and saints and seers in saffron robes.
BJP president Rajnath Singh will be Mr Modi's number 2 in government as Home Minister and took oath immediately after him. He was followed by senior BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley. Mr Jaitley will be Finance Minister and will also have additional charge of Defence.
Ms Swaraj will be Minister for External Affairs.
On Sunday, Mr Modi promised that he would head a lean Cabinet with a focus on "minimum government and maximum governance". On Monday evening, after he had seen off visiting dignitaries and the crowds began to melt, the PM posed for a group photo with his team - at 45 ministers the leanest council of ministers yet. (What No One Told You Yet About Modi's New Cabinet)
There are 23 ministers of Cabinet rank, 10 Ministers of State with Independent charge and 12 Ministers of State in the new union council of ministers. The oldest is Najma Heptulla, 74, the youngest Smriti Irani, 38.
*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources NDTV
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DTN News - INDIA NEWS: Narendra Modi To Be Sworn In As Indian Prime Minister
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources BBC News
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 26, 2014: Narendra Modi is to be sworn in as India's new prime minister in a ceremony to be attended by his counterpart from rival Pakistan.
Nawaz Sharif will join other regional leaders at the ceremony in Delhi's presidential palace.
It is the first time since the two countries won independence in 1947 that a prime minister from one state will attend such a ceremony in the other.
Mr Modi led his BJP party to a landslide win in the recent election.
The BJP won the biggest victory by any party in India for 30 years, gaining a majority in parliament and trouncing the outgoing Congress Party.
Monday's grand outdoor ceremony in front of the presidential palace will be attended by the leaders of all seven South Asian countries as well as Mauritius.
Tough stance
But all eyes will be on the presence of Mr Sharif, who is expected to hold talks with Mr Modi on Tuesday, says the BBC's Sanjoy Majumder.
The two nuclear-armed rivals have fought three wars in the past 60 years, and Mr Modi's BJP party advocates a tough stance on Pakistan.
"Pakistan wants good relations with India and I am going to New Delhi with a message of peace," Mr Sharif was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India before he flew into the capital for the swearing-in ceremony.
Several thousand guests are expected to attend the inauguration during which President Pranab Mukherjee will administer the oath of office to Mr Modi, 63, and his council of ministers.
Pakistan"s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif waves upon his arrival at the airport in New Delhi May 26, 2014
Nawaz Sharif will join other regional leaders at the ceremony in Delhi's presidential palace
In a tweet, Mr Modi has indicated that his government will be leaner with fewer ministers in an attempt to make it more efficient.
Besides Mr Sharif, other regional leaders attending the ceremony include Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Nepal's Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Maldives' President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
Bangladesh will be represented by Speaker Shirin Chaudhury as PM Sheikh Hasina will be travelling to Japan at the time of the swearing-in ceremony, reports say.
Tight security and traffic restrictions have been imposed in Delhi and all offices around the presidential palace will be closed five hours before the event takes place, according to the Press Trust of India.
Given the margin of victory, the BJP will be able to govern without coalition partners - 272 MPs are required for an absolute majority.
The Congress party finished with just 44 of the 543 seats and under 20% of the vote in what was its worst-ever performance.
*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources BBC News
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DTN News - OBAMA IN AFGHANISTAN: President Obama Makes Surprise Afghanistan Visit
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Reuters
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 25, 2014: President Barack Obama, on a visit to Afghanistan, said on Sunday his administration would likely announce soon how many troops the United States will keep in the country, as it winds down its presence after nearly 13 years of war.
Speaking at a briefing by military commanders at Bagram Air Base, Obama said one reason for his trip was to discuss the U.S. footprint for the rest of this year - when the bulk of troops are scheduled to be withdrawn - and afterward.
"We'll probably be announcing some decisions fairly shortly," said Obama, who flew into the main U.S. base in Afghanistan for a brief, surprise visit.
The trip on Memorial Day weekend, his fourth visit to Afghanistan, comes as Obama is buffeted by criticism at home that his handling of foreign policy has been too passive in dealing with crises from Syria to Ukraine and Russia. He is to respond to the criticism in a speech on Wednesday at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Obama also delivered remarks to troops at Bagram, getting hollers from the crowd as he told them, "I'm here on a single mission and that is to thank you for your extraordinary service." He was also set to visit wounded soldiers.
His trip was bound to be seen by some critics as an attempt to redeem himself in the eyes of military veterans who are alarmed at allegations that government-run medical facilities in the United States have not provided timely care for veterans.
At Bagram, Obama was briefed by Army General Joseph Dunford, who heads U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham.
NO PLANS TO VISIT KARZAI
Obama had no plans to visit the Afghan capital Kabul or meet
President Hamid Karzai and other government officials during a trip expected to last only a few hours. This allows him to avoid getting immersed in the country's presidential election campaign to choose a successor to Karzai, who has long been out of favor in Washington.
In an indication of the frayed relations between the Obama administration and the Karzai government, the Afghan president rejected an invitation extended through the U.S. embassy to meet Obama at Bagram, Abdul Karim Khurram, Karzai's chief of staff, told Reuters.
"President Karzai said he would warmly welcome him if he comes to the palace but in no way he would go Bagram to meet him," Khurram said.
Karzai has irked Obama by refusing to sign a bilateral security agreement that Washington wants before it will agree to leave a contingent of U.S. troops behind in Afghanistan for training Afghan forces and counter-terrorism operations, after the formal U.S. troop drawdown.
In turn, Karzai has long expressed anger at civilian deaths in Afghanistan. He told the Washington Post in an interview in March that the war in Afghanistan was not fought with his country's interests in mind.
In a statement issued before Obama's arrival in Afghanistan, Karzai criticized the U.S. phone surveillance program, saying it violates his country's sovereignty.
In his remarks to troops at Bagram, Obama said he was hopeful that the U.S.-Afghan bilateral security agreement would be signed once a new Afghan president was sworn in.
The number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan may drop well below 10,000 - the minimum demanded by the U.S. military to train Afghan forces, Obama administration officials briefed on the matter say.
There are now about 33,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, down from 100,000 in 2011, when troop numbers peaked a decade into a conflict in which more than 2,100 Americans have been killed.
Obama left Washington under cover of darkness on Saturday night and flew for more than 13 hours to arrive at Bagram on Sunday night local time. He brought with him country music star Brad Paisley to provide entertainment for the troops.
Wearing an Air Force One bomber jacket, Obama was also joined by national security adviser Susan Rice and special counselor John Podesta, who has a son stationed in Afghanistan.
(Additional reporting by Jeff Mason in Washington and Jessica Donati and Hamid Shalizi in Kabul; Editing by Caren Bohan and Frances Kerry)
*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Reuters
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DTN News - UKRAINE CRISIS: Defense-Technology News May 4, 2014 (Video)
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 4, 2014: Pro-Russian groups in Donetsk have been reacting angrily to the deaths in Odessa.
More than 40 people died there on Friday, most of them in a fire at the Trade Unions House, where separatist protesters had barricaded themselves following running battles with pro-Kiev activists.
Ukraine's interim PM has accused the security services of failing to stop violence in the southern city of Odessa that left more than 40 people dead.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk, on his way to Odessa, told the BBC there would be a "full, comprehensive and independent investigation" into Friday's events.
Most of the victims were pro-Russian separatists who had barricaded themselves inside a building.
Mr Yatsenyuk has blamed pro-Russian groups for "provoking the unrest".
Dozens of people were arrested after the unrest. On Sunday, hundreds of pro-Russians gathered outside Odessa's main police station demanding their release, and there were reports of scuffles breaking out on the streets.
'Real war'
Some 42 people died in Odessa on Friday, most of them in the fire at the Trade Unions House, where separatist protesters had barricaded themselves in following running street battles with pro-Kiev activists.
Mr Yatsenyuk said the security service and law enforcement office had done "nothing to stop this crackdown", saying they were "inefficient and they violated the law".
The police chief of the Odessa region had been removed, he said, and the prosecutor's office had started an investigation into "every single police officer"
Ukraine Crisis Top Stories / Headlines News for the world of TODAY.
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The deployment of the two unarmed Global Hawk drones to Japan, a key U.S. ally, is intended to demonstrate Washington’s commitment to security in Asia as part of its rebalancing of forces to the Pacific. But it will likely rankle with China and North Korea, which have been working to improve their own unmanned aircraft fleets.
