Iran nuclear talks 'moving to next phase'
Vienna (AFP) April 09, 2014 -
Iran and world powers said Wednesday that their nuclear talks were now moving up a gear, with Tehran's foreign minister saying both sides agreed on "50-60 percent" of issues.
Speaking after the latest round of talks in Vienna, the powers' chief negotiator, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the next round from May 13 would see negotiations "move to the next phase".
A senior US ...
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S. Korea, US to hold largest-ever joint air drill
Seoul (AFP) April 10, 2014 -
South Korea's military said Thursday it would hold its largest-ever joint air drill with the United States as tensions mount over a series of threats from North Korea.
The twice-yearly Max Thunder exercise - to be held from Friday to April 25 - will be the largest-ever involving 103 aircraft and 1,400 troops, the air force said.
Seoul's F-15K jet fighters will take part along with US A ...
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US to christen new futuristic Zumwalt warship
Washington (AFP) April 10, 2014 -
The US Navy on Saturday will christen the USS Zumwalt, the first of a new class of futuristic, costly destroyers - of which only three are to be built.
The warship, which began construction in 2009, will join the fleet in 2016, the Navy said in a statement.
The christening, during which the traditional bottle of sparkling wine will be broken on the ship's bow, is to take place at a shi ...
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US has given China a 'mission impossible' on N.Korea: envoy
Washington (AFP) April 10, 2014 -
The United States is giving China a "mission impossible" by insisting it exert pressure on neighboring North Korea to halt its nuclear program or face US consequences, Beijing's ambassador said Thursday.
"There is one thing that worries me a little bit, and even more than a little bit, is that we're very often told that China has such an influence over DPRK and we should force the DPRK to do ...
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US says cybersecurity sharing not an antitrust issue
Washington (AFP) April 10, 2014 -
US officials announced Thursday that companies sharing information about cybersecurity would not face prosecution on antitrust grounds.
The news came amid heightened concerns about data breaches and malware that can foil online encryption to allow hackers to steal passwords or other personal data.
Officials at the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission said they issued formal gu ...
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Syria Qaeda loses ground to jihadist rivals on Iraq border
Beirut (AFP) April 10, 2014 -
Syria's Al-Qaeda affiliate lost ground to its jihadist rivals around a town on the Iraqi border Thursday in fierce clashes that left at least 51 fighters dead, a monitoring group said.
Al-Nusra, the affiliate of Al-Qaeda, meanwhile, claimed responsibility for a twin car bombing in a pro-government area of the central city of Homs that killed 25 people on Wednesday.
Fighters of the Islami ...
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Violence kills 21 in Iraq
Baghdad (AFP) April 10, 2014 -
Shootings and bombings in Iraq killed at least 21 people Thursday, officials said, as the country struggles with rampant violence ahead of parliamentary elections at the end of the month.
The country is suffering from a protracted surge in bloodshed that has killed more than 2,500 people this year and sparked fears Iraq is slipping back into the all-out sectarian fighting of 2006-2007.
T ...
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UN deposits Palestinian request to join 13 treaties
United Nations, United States (AFP) April 10, 2014 -
The United Nations said Thursday it had accepted for deposit, in keeping with international procedure, a request from the Palestinians to join 13 international conventions and treaties.
The requests were submitted to UN headquarters on April 2 by Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour.
The treaties include the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, the convention on the rights of the c ...
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Israel, Palestinians meet on peace talks stalemate
Jerusalem (AFP) April 10, 2014 -
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators held US-mediated talks Thursday to try to revive their crisis-hit peace process, a Palestinian official said, as a report of a possible breakthrough was played down.
Peace talks sponsored by Washington hit a new impasse at the end of March when Israel refused to release a final batch of Palestinian prisoners and the Palestinians retaliated by seeking membe ...
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US warns Russia of more sanctions over Ukraine
Washington (AFP) April 10, 2014 -
US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew warned his Russian counterpart Thursday of more sanctions if Moscow "continues to escalate" the crisis in Ukraine.
Lew also expressed to Finance Minister Anton Siluanov concerns about reports that Moscow was discussing an oil-for-goods trade deal with Iran, the Treasury said in a statement.
On the sidelines of IMF and World Bank spring meetings in Washingt ...
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NATO release photos of Russian troops near Ukraine border
Brussels (AFP) April 10, 2014 -
NATO released Thursday a score of satellite pictures of up to 40,000 Russian troops massed along the Ukraine border that it said are ready for action and represent a "real threat" to Kiev.
The Western military alliance estimates that "between 35,000 and 40,000" Russians, armed with tanks and military vehicles, have been deployed in over 100, mainly temporary, bases to the east of Ukraine. ...
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Scorpion completes first 50 hours of flight testing
Wichita, Kan. (UPI) Apr 10, 2013 -
A new light attack and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft under development by Textron AirLand LLC has completed 50 hours of flight testing.
The jet-powered Scorpion is 43.6 feet long, has a maximum speed of 513 miles per hour and a service ceiling of 45,000 feet. It was first flown last December.
Flight testing so far has gathered data about Scorpion's perfor ...
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Middle Eastern country orders more border radar
Toulouse, France (UPI) Apr 10, 2013 -
An unidentified Middle East country has ordered additional border security radars from Airbus Defense and Space, the company reports.
Under the award - an extension to an existing contract for more than 40 Spexer 2000 radars now operating in the country - Airbus Defense and Space will deliver four systems but no delivery schedule was detailed.
Spexer 2000 is optimized for the s ...
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Rolls-Royce gets new contract for engine support
London (UPI) Apr 10, 2013 -
The U.S. Department of Defense has given Rolls-Royce a contract worth more than $100 million to support engines powering U.S. Navy training aircraft.
The contractor logistics support contract, a follow-on award, is for a period of one year.
Covered under the contract are F405 Adour engines used on T-45 planes.
"At Rolls-Royce, we are focused on providing innovative and aff ...
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Romania presses for NATO redeployment over Ukraine crisis
Bucharest (AFP) April 10, 2014 -
NATO should redeploy its forces in eastern Europe and take a firm stand to prevent a contagion of the Ukraine crisis, Romania's foreign minister urged in an interview Thursday with AFP.
"Romania has concrete expectations of a redeployment and an eastward repositioning of NATO's naval, air and ground forces," Titus Corlatean said.
"The Black Sea region must be a top priority for NATO and ...
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Navy approves Boeing combat vehicle for transport on V-22
St. Louis (UPI) Apr 10, 2013 -
Boeing reports its Phantom Badger combat vehicle has been approved by the U.S. Navy for transport aboard V-22 Osprey aircraft.
The certification follows testing by the Navy, which included form-fit checks, pressure tests and G-force structural evaluations.
"This certification validates Phantom Badger's versatile design while offering the warfighter increased battlefield access an ...
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USAF researchers test Google Glass for combat, intelligence missions
Moscow (Voice of Russia) Apr 11, 2014 -
A US Air Force research team is in the process of beta-testing Google Glass headsets for possible utilization in battlefield scenarios. The BATMAN evaluation group at the US Air Force's 711th Human Performance Wing is a highly-distinguished military research and development faction.
According to VentureBeat, that unit is interested in Google Glass for its ability to "access information ver ...
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NGC Ships Payload Module For 4th Advanced EHF Protected ComSat
Redondo Beach CA (SPX) Apr 11, 2014 -
Northrop Grumman has continued its record of shipping Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite payload modules ahead of schedule when the fourth arrived Feb. 11, nearly two months early, at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., AEHF system prime contractor.
Complex phased array and nulling antennas, along with the advanced crosslinks, will be shipped later this year t ...
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45th Space Wing launches NRO Satellite on board Atlas V
Cape Canaveral AFB FL (SPX) Apr 11, 2014 -
The 45th Space Wing successfully launched a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 here at 1:45 p.m. April 10 carrying a classified national security payload.
The payload was designed and built by the National Reconnaissance Office. It will be the second Atlas V from the Cape this year and ULA's 81st launch overall. The 45th Space Wing commander was pleased with ...
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Israel launches cutting-edge satellite to spy on MidEast adversaries
Moscow (Voice of Russia) Apr 11, 2014 -
Israel's Defense Ministry has successfully launched Ofek 10, a next-generation satellite that will provide highly-targeted surveillance of specific locations - such as Iran's nuclear sites.
"We continue to increase the vast qualitative and technological advantage over our neighbors," said Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon at the launch at a test site in central Israel, Israeli media reported. ...
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Crude oil dips on Libyan prospects, weak China data
New York (AFP) April 10, 2014 -
Oil prices dipped Thursday, weighed down by signs some Libyan crude exports will resume soon and weak trade data in China, the world's second-biggest oil consumer.
US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for May delivery declined 20 cents to finish at $103.40 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Brent North Sea crude for May dropped 52 cents to stand at $107.46 a barrel in London. ...
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GDF Suez lauds North Sea oil, gas gains
Paris (UPI) Apr 10, 2013 -
Developments in the British and Dutch waters of the North Sea are essential for production gains for GDF Suez, its executive vice president said.
The French energy company said it successfully launched three new oil and natural gas fields - Orca, Amstel and Juliet - in British and Dutch waters in recent months.
Jean-Marie Dauger, executive vice president of GDF Suez, said the d ...
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Top Hong Kong businessman sells $928 mn Beijing property
Beijing (AFP) April 10, 2014 -
A company led by top Hong Kong businessman Richard Li said it has sold a landmark Beijing property for more than $900 million, fuelling speculation about the motive for Chinese property sales by his family.
Pacific Century Premium Developments (PCPD) - a firm chaired by Li, the younger son of Asia's richest man Li Ka-shing - signed an agreement Tuesday to sell Pacific Century Place for $92 ...
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Russia says South Stream gas pipeline would help EU
Moscow (UPI) Apr 10, 2013 -
The planned South Stream natural gas pipeline for Europe is more important than ever given ongoing crises in Ukraine, the Russian envoy to the EU said.
Ukrainian and Russian officials have warned European natural gas supplies are at risk because of lingering contractual disputes that grew out of the political upheaval in Ukraine.
European consumers get about a quarter of their ga ...
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Taiwan demonstrators end parliament seizure, threaten more protests
Taipei (AFP) April 10, 2014 -
Student activists Thursday ended an unprecedented three-week occupation of Taiwan's parliament in protest at a service trade pact with China, but threatened more action unless their demands are met.
"The departure does not mean we are giving up," said student leader Lin Fei-fan, shortly before dozens of demonstrators clad in black T-shirts walked out of the building at around 6 pm (1000 GMT) ...
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