Tag: military

Four dead in plane crash that sparked Washington alert

WASHINGTON, June 5, 2023 (AFP) – US officials said Monday there were no survivors from the Virginia crash of a small plane carrying four people, a day after the unresponsive aircraft prompted the scrambling of fighter jets from Washington. The Cessna Citation slammed into mountainous terrain Sunday afternoon some 170 miles (275 kilometers) southwest of the capital, according to the Federal Aviation Administration which was investigating the incident. F-16s earlier chased the aircraft at high […]

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Beijing blames US ‘provocation’ for South China Sea fighter jet incident

BEIJING, May 31, 2023 (AFP) – Beijing blamed US “provocation” Wednesday for an incident last week in which a Chinese plane crossed in front of an American surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea. The incident comes at a time of frayed ties between Washington and Beijing over issues including Taiwan, which China regards as its territory, and the shooting down of an alleged Chinese spy balloon that flew over the United States this year. […]

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North Korea says spy satellite ‘crashed into sea’

By Claire LEE Agence France-Presse SEOUL, May 31, 2023 (AFP) — North Korea launched a military spy satellite Wednesday, but it crashed into the sea soon after as an “accident occurred” during its flight, state media said. Pyongyang does not have a functioning satellite in space and leader Kim Jong Un has made developing a military spy satellite a top priority for his regime, personally overseeing some launch preparations. North Korean space authorities “launched a […]

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North Korea launches claimed ‘spy satellite’, Seoul says

By Claire LEE Agence France-Presse SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea launched its purported spy satellite Wednesday, the South’s military said, prompting confusion in Seoul as the city briefly issued an evacuation warning in error. South Korea’s military detected the launch of what Pyongyang has described as a military reconnaissance satellite “from Tongchang County area of North Pyongan Province in North Korea, at around 6:29 today” in a southerly direction, the Joint Chiefs of […]

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Japan says scrambled jets after Russian planes seen off coasts

TOKYO, May 25, 2023 (AFP) – Japan scrambled fighter jets Thursday after Russian “intelligence-gathering” aircraft were detected off its coasts along the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Japan, the country’s Joint Staff said. One Russian aircraft travelled from Japan’s north down along part of its west coast, while the other took a similar route along the opposite coast and returned the same way, the Joint Staff said in a brief statement. “In response, fighters of […]

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Kim inspects North Korea’s first spy satellite: state media

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) – Leader Kim Jong Un has inspected North Korea’s first military spy satellite and gave the go-ahead for its “future action plan,” state media said Wednesday. Kim met with the Non-permanent Satellite Launch Preparatory Committee on Tuesday before viewing the satellite, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. A month ago, Kim said construction of the satellite was completed and gave the green light for its launch. That report on April […]

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Suspected Texas shooter was kicked out of US Army

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The man suspected of murdering eight people at a Texas shopping mall was kicked out of the US Army in 2008 less than three months after joining, a spokeswoman said Monday. Mauricio Garcia, 33, was shot dead by police after opening fire with a semi-automatic rifle in the parking lot of Allen Premium Outlets north of Dallas on Saturday afternoon. “Mauricio Garcia entered the regular Army in June 2008; he […]

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Convoy carrying ASEAN diplomats ‘attacked’ in Myanmar

YANGON, May 8, 2023 (AFP) – A convoy of diplomats travelling in Myanmar came under fire from an unknown armed group, a military official and a diplomat said Monday. Myanmar has been in turmoil since a military coup deposed Aung San Suu Kyi’s administration in February 2021. On Sunday a convoy of several vehicles travelling in Taunggyi township in eastern Myanmar’s Shan State was attacked by an unknown armed group, a foreign diplomat based in […]

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US troops ordered to Mexico border for migrant surge

By Paul HANDLEY Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Pentagon said Tuesday it will deploy more troops to help provide security at the US-Mexico border as officials fear a surge in migrant crossing attempts when Covid-19 immigration restrictions end on May 11. Some 1,500 troops will be sent to the border, adding to the 2,500 already there to support Border Patrol authorities in the face of a possible gush of frontier crossings. “For […]

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US, PHL to discuss countering Beijing in S.China Sea

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2023 (AFP) – Moves to check Beijing’s aggressive expansion into the trade routes and strategic islands of the South China Sea will headline talks Monday between President Joe Biden and his Philippines counterpart Ferdinand Marcos at the White House. Marcos is on a four-day trip that follows last week’s state visit to Washington by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and a White House meeting in January between Biden and Japanese Prime […]

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Chinese ‘scorpion’ combat drone circles Taiwan

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — A long-range Chinese combat drone capable of carrying a large weapons payload has circled Taiwan, the island’s defense ministry said Friday. Democratic Taiwan lives under constant threat of an attack by Beijing, which views the island as part of its territory. Taiwan’s defense ministry said it detected 38 Chinese aircraft, including a TB-001 drone nicknamed the “twin-tailed scorpion”, around the island between 6:00 am (1000 GMT) Thursday and 6:00 am Friday. […]

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Australia unveils biggest defense reform in decades

by Max Blenkin, with Andrew Beatty in Sydney Agence France-Presse CANBERRA, Australia (AFP) — Australia launched its biggest defence shakeup in decades Monday, vowing to turn a military that is “no longer fit for purpose” into a fighting force that could deter China or any would-be foe. Defense Minister Richard Marles unveiled a strategic review that called for a sharp shift toward long-range deterrence — using missiles, submarines and cyber tools to keep adversaries at […]

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