Iran's Zarif reports progress in EU nuclear talks
Algiers (AFP) May 28, 2014 -
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Wednesday progress has been made in his talks with EU diplomatic chief Catherine Ashton over his country's disputed nuclear programme.
"We have made progress; we exchanged views during lengthy discussions that we have had in the last two days in Istanbul with Catherine Ashton," who represents world powers, said Zarif.
"Iran is determined ...
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New Zealand frigates getting MBDA air defense system
Stevenage, England (UPI) May 28, 2013 -
The Sea Ceptor air defense system, which uses the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile, is being provided to the Royal New Zealand Navy by MBDA.
The system will make up part of the Local Area Air Defense element of the Navy's upgrade for ANZAC frigates.
"I am delighted that New Zealand has confirmed its selection of Sea Ceptor for the ANZAC FSU project," said Steve Wadey, MBDA UK mana ...
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Huge queues for commuters as Beijing steps up subway security
Beijing (AFP) May 28, 2014 -
Tens of thousands of Beijing commuters are being forced to queue for up to an hour morning and night by stepped-up subway station security imposed this week after several deadly attacks and ahead of the June 4 Tiananmen crackdown anniversary.
China's capital is already notoriously crowded, with a population of 20 million people, and lines outside some stations stretched for dozens of metres ...
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'Significant delays' found in treatment of US veterans
Washington (AFP) May 28, 2014 -
US military veterans were subjected to "significant delays" at a government clinic where up to 1,700 of them may have been kept off waitlists, said an inspector's report released Wednesday.
With a swirling scandal over treatment of wounded warriors growing into a political timebomb for President Barack Obama, the Veterans Administration launched a rapid response probe into allegations staff ...
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63 killed in brutal Iraq post-election attacks
Baghdad (AFP) May 28, 2014 -
Attacks across Iraq, including a spate of car bombs in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul, killed 63 people Wednesday in the bloodiest violence to hit Iraq since April elections.
The worst of the blasts went off during the evening and left dozens of people wounded, fuelling fears a protracted surge in violence is pushing Iraq back into the brutal communal conflict that left tens of thous ...
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China heightens crackdown on WeChat messaging
Beijing (AFP) May 28, 2014 -
China's ruling Communist Party is launching a new crackdown on popular instant messaging platforms including Tencent's WeChat, state media said Wednesday, the latest in a series of moves to stifle online speech.
The month-long campaign follows a similar clampdown last year on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like microblogging service whose popularity has been hit as China's censors have tightened thei ...
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US seeks greater missile defense cooperation by Japan, South Korea
Washington (AFP) May 28, 2014 -
A top US military official on Wednesday called for better missile defense cooperation between Japan and South Korea, in the face of strained ties between America's two closest Asia allies and a belligerent North Korea.
"We're encouraging our allies and partners to acquire their own missile defenses and to strengthen regional missile defense cooperation that will result in better performance ...
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Army M4 carbines getting full-auto capability
Washington (UPI) May 28, 2013 -
The U.S. Army's M4 carbines are in the process of receiving new, thicker barrels for better weapon performance if used in automatic mode.
The barrels in the M4-1A configuration of the rifle weigh 7.74 pounds - compared to the M-4's 7.46 pounds - and absorb more heat. The weight comparisons include the back-up iron sight, forward pistol grip, empty magazine and sling, the Army reported ...
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Taliban condemn US exit strategy from Afghanistan
Kabul (AFP) May 28, 2014 -
Taliban insurgents Wednesday denounced US plans to keep troops in Afghanistan up to the end of 2016, threatening to wage war against the "occupation" until the very last foreign soldier pulls out.
But outgoing President Hamid Karzai welcomed the timetable for the US's complete withdrawal and called on the insurgents to seize a "historic" opportunity to seek peace after more than a decade of ...
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China sentences 55 in mass trial at Xinjiang stadium
Beijing (AFP) May 28, 2014 -
Authorities in China's mainly Muslim Xinjiang mounted a mass sentencing in a stadium for 55 people on offences including terrorism, state media said Wednesday, as they press a crackdown on escalating violence.
About 7,000 people and Communist Party officials in Ili prefecture attended the "mass gathering for public sentencing, public arrests and public criminal detention, punishing a group o ...
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RAF takes newly acquired intel plane for spin
London (UPI) May 28, 2013 -
A Rivet Joint RC-135W signals intelligence aircraft has been flown for the first time by Britain's Royal Air Force, the Ministry of Defense announced.
The aircraft, one of three Britain is buying from the United States under its Airseeker program, was flown at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, the ministry said, but details of that first RAF flight were not provided.
The RC-135W is ...
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Rheinmetall clinches joint procurement truck deal
Munich, Germany (UPI) May 28, 2013 -
The Swedish military on Wednesday followed Norway in signing a framework agreement for joint procurement of Rheinmetall MAN military trucks.
Together, the armed forces of the two countries have ordered a total of 335 vehicles - in 14 different configurations - worth about $272.8 million, with first lot deliveries from the end of next year until the end of 2017.
"Although the fr ...
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Submarines replacing Ohio-class vessels will have turbine generators
Sunnyvale, Calif. (UPI) May 28, 2013 -
Design, manufacturing and delivery of the first turbine generator units for a next-generation nuclear submarine will be conducted by Northrop Grumman.
The contract was issued by General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is tasked by the U.S. Navy for a new class of submarine to replace Ohio-class submarines now in service.
"This latest award reflects Northrop Grumman's long standing ...
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Australian military gives JASSM final operational capability status
Canberra, Australia (UPI) May 28, 2013 -
Lockheed Martin's AGM-158A Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-Off Missile has attained final operational capability with the Australian military.
The missile, which gained initial operating capability status with the Royal Australian Air Force in 2011, is a cruise missile with a conventional warhead and with a range of more than 186 miles.
"The Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-Off Missile is n ...
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Obama warns against 'aggression' in South China Sea
West Point, United States (AFP) May 28, 2014 -
President Barack Obama warned Wednesday that the United States was ready to respond to China's "aggression" toward its neighbors at sea but said Washington should lead by example by ratifying a key treaty.
In a wide-ranging speech on foreign policy to US military cadets at West Point, Obama said that the United States should shun isolationism and that its military must be prepared for crises ...
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New method discovered to protect against chemical weapons
Corvallis OR (SPX) May 28, 2014 -
Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered that some compounds called polyoxoniobates can degrade and decontaminate nerve agents such as the deadly sarin gas, and have other characteristics that may make them ideal for protective suits, masks or other clothing.
The use of polyoxoniobates for this purpose had never before been demonstrated, scientists said, and the discovery cou ...
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China's decision to replace IBM servers with domestic equivalents may boost national security
Moscow (Voice of Russia) May 29, 2014 -
The use of home-made servers in Beijing's national banks may prevent inclusion of hidden backdoors that facilitate intelligence gathering by the US National Security Agency, according to expert in the US-China relations, RIA Novosti reports.
Chinese government institutions, including the People's Bank of China and the Ministry of Finance, are reviewing domestic commercial banks' reliance o ...
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Earthly Conflicts Threaten US-Russia Space Cooperation
Washington DC (SPX) May 29, 2014 -
Angered over U.S. sanctions against Russian officials involved in the annexation of Crimea, and unrest in Eastern Ukraine, Russian deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Moscow may retaliate by re-assessing the space cooperation between the two countries.
If his threat becomes reality, it could affect future space explorations aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Russia h ...
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Microsystems Technologies Office: Creating A New Electronics Revolution For National Defense
Washington DC (SPX) May 29, 2014 -
Since its inception in 1992, DARPA'S Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) has helped create and prevent strategic surprise through its investments in compact microelectronic components such as microprocessors, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and photonic devices.
MTO's revolutionary work applying these advanced capabilities in areas such as wide-band gap materials, phased array rada ...
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China lambasts US spying tactics
Moscow (Voice of Russia) May 28, 2014 -
China has labeled the US take on cyber-spying a "complete disregard for moral integrity" and has accused the country of taking advantage of its geopolitical hegemony to spy on others, a Chinese report by an internet information body stated on Tuesday. Beijing said that US methods involved broad-scale attacks against the Chinese government.
"America's spying operations have gone far beyond ...
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