China, Nepal discuss joint military exercises
Kathmandu (AFP) March 23, 2017 -
China's defence minister met his Nepal counterpart Thursday pushing ahead plans to hold joint military exercises, a move likely closely watched by India as Beijing boosts its influence in the region.
"We have been discussing joint military exercises with China... the minister was positive about it," Nepal's Defence Minister Bal Krishna Khand told AFP after meeting with Chang Wanquan.
Kha ...
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Manila could share maritime resources with China: Duterte
Manila (AFP) March 23, 2017 -
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he was open to sharing resources with Beijing in flashpoint South China Sea waters over which Manila has been given exclusive rights by an international tribunal.
Beijing claims most of the sea, including waters close to the Philippine coast, despite the claim being declared as without basis last year by a United Nations-backed tribunal. ...
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NASA taking first steps toward high-speed space internet
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Mar 23, 2017 -
The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) will help NASA understand the best ways to operate laser communications systems. They could enable much higher data rates for connections between spacecraft and Earth, such as scientific data downlink and astronaut communications.
"LCRD is the next step in implementing NASA's vision of using optical communications for both near-Earth and ...
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Mattis presses Congress for $30B defense hike
Washington (UPI) Mar 23, 2017 -
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis implored lawmakers to approve the Trump Administration's proposed $30 billion defense budget boost on Wednesday.
Speaking during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Mattis said the additional funds for fiscal 2017 were necessary to ensure military readiness, suggesting key assets have been underfunded.
"[The spending i ...
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US sees 'activity' at N. Korea nuke sites: US official
Washington (AFP) March 23, 2017 -
The US military has observed activity in North Korea that suggests Pyongyang may be gearing up for another nuclear test, a US official said Thursday.
"At the sites where we watch tests, we see a level of activity that's similar to what they've done before other tests," the defense official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Fox News reported earlier on Thursday that North Korea is in th ...
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Russia may be supplying the Taliban
Washington (AFP) March 23, 2017 -
Russia is "perhaps" supplying the Taliban as they fight US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, a top US general said Thursday.
General Curtis Scaparrotti, NATO's supreme allied commander who also heads the US military's European Command, told lawmakers he had seen Russian influence expand in multiple regions, including in Afghanistan.
"I have seen the influence of Russia of late - an incre ...
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South China Sea installations 'primarily' civilian: Li
Sydney (AFP) March 24, 2017 -
China is not militarising the disputed South China Sea, the country's premier said Friday in Australia, claiming defence equipment Beijing has installed on artificial islands is "primarily" for civilian use.
The sea is a source of growing regional tension, with Beijing insisting it has sovereignty over virtually all the resource-rich waters, which are also claimed in part by several other co ...
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