Tag: Region Europe

US Air Force Launches Two Electronic Warfare Detachments

The US Air Force (USAF) has launched two new detachments at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia to bolster the force’s electronic warfare capability. Detachments from the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing (SWW) and the 87th Electronic Warfare Squadron (EWS) will be tasked with responding to electronic threats by developing new countermeasures. The launch is part of the standup process for…

Ukrainian pilots begin F-16 training in Arizona

Ukrainian military pilots have begun learning to fly the F-16 Fighting Falcon jet in Arizona, the U.S. Air Force confirmed Wednesday. A “small number” of Ukrainians started training at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson this week, Air Force spokesperson Rose Riley said in an emailed statement. Morris is home to the 162nd Wing of the Arizona National Guard,…

Resignation of UK Tesco supermarket chain boss

The chief executive of Tesco UK is to step down after six years leading Britain’s biggest supermarket chain. Jason Tarry said he felt it was the “right time for me to move on” and revealed he would leave his post in March 2024. He will be replaced by former Aldi UK and Ireland chief executive Matthew Barnes. Mr Tarry has…

China’s mideast envoy urges guarantees for Palestinians

BEIJING: China’s special Mideast envoy pinned the cause of the Israel-Gaza crisis on the lack of guarantees for Palestinian rights and urged greater coordination with Moscow in a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Qatar, a key go-between in the conflict. In the first leg of his tour in the region, China’s envoy for Middle East issues Zhai Jun landed…

Biden says support for Israel, Ukraine vital for U.S. security; will ask Congress for billions

U.S. President Joe Biden declared it is “vital for America’s national security” for Israel and Ukraine to succeed in their wars, making the case Thursday night for deepening U.S. involvement in two unpredictable foreign conflicts as he prepared to ask for billions of dollars in military assistance for both countries. If international aggression is allowed to continue, Biden said in…

‘Russia Will Pay The Price’ Israeli Official Amir Weitmann Threatens Russia is Next After Gaza

Amir Weitmann of Israel’s ruling Likud Party threatened Russia that Israel will come after them once their war with Gaza is over for supporting Hamas “Nazis” who “beheaded babies” and “raped” women. Weitmann claimed everyone has seen such atrocities with their own eyes. Amir Weitmann, of Israel’s ruling Likud Party, promises revenge on Russia for insufficient support of Israel: “Russia…

U.S. journalist detained in Russia after visiting for family emergency

Russia has detained an editor at U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) for failing to register as a foreign agent while visiting for a family emergency, the broadcaster said. Russia has tightened its control over information and the media since the start of the nearly 20-month-long Ukraine war, forcing the closure of the last significant independent news outlets and designating many…

Jewish Communities Ramp Up Security

Jewish communities in North America are ramping up security in the face of rising emotions over the massacre of Jews in Israel and the imminent invasion of Gaza, with pro- and anti-Israel rallies being held daily in cities across the United States. Eric Fingerhut, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, told VOA that the communities are prepared and…

French police use teargas on banned pro-Palestinian rally as Macron calls for calm

French police used teargas and water cannon to break up a banned rally in support of the Palestinian people in Paris on Thursday, as President Emmanuel Macron urged the French to remain united and refrain from bringing the Israel-Hamas conflict home. Macron’s interior minister had earlier banned pro-Palestinian protests, saying they were “likely to generate disturbances to public order”. France…

Germany to send Ukraine $1B in air defense tech, plus more tanks

  PARIS — Germany will send about €1 billion (U.S. $1.1 billion) worth of air defense systems to Ukraine as part of a second “winter package” for the embattled country, the German Defence Ministry said in a statement Tuesday. The support will include a Patriot air defense system and two IRIS-T surface-to-air systems, as well as 10 more Leopard 1…

German economy to shrink in 2023, govt says

  FRANKFURT – The German government slashed its growth forecast on Wednesday, predicting Europe’s top economy will shrink this year as it battles high inflation, elevated energy prices and a manufacturing slump. Output will shrink 0.4 per cent, the economy ministry said in its latest projections. This is a marked downgrade from its last estimate in April, when Berlin forecast…

Cyberattacks Slam Israel After Hamas Surprise Assault

Israel has incurred several cyberattacks following the large-scale surprise attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas. Among the recorded incidents was an attack on the country’s services and government information website, resulting in the portal’s connectivity failure. It was claimed by hacktivists called Killnet, a pro-Russian cyber group that gained notoriety after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. “Israeli government, you are…

Italian official warns of war fatigue, limited resources for Ukraine

  The Italian government is running out of military equipment to send to Ukraine, just as domestic public opinion loses interest in supporting Kyiv, Italy’s defense minister said Wednesday. Claiming Italy does not have “unlimited resources”, Guido Crosetto said Italy has “done almost all that it could do,” when it comes to sending weapons to Ukraine. ”There is not much…

U.S. shoots down armed drone flown by NATO ally Turkey

An American F-16 shot down an armed Turkish drone after it flew close to U.S. forces in northeast Syria and ignored warnings to stay away. Officials said it was the first time the U.S. has shot down an aircraft from Turkey, a NATO ally. Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said it was a “regrettable incident” and…

FCA calls on insurers to take action as it publishes latest fair value data

In letters sent to all insurance firms, the regulator reminded them of its expectations to make sure they’re checking their products are providing fair value to their customers. The FCA also identified further evidence that some Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) products may be failing to provide fair value to customers. This comes as the FCA publishes its latest insurance Value…

FCA sets out initial findings on bank account access and closures

The information supplied by banks, building societies and payment companies suggests that no firm closed an account between July 2022 and June 2023 primarily because of a customer’s political views. The Payment Accounts Regulations ban banks or building societies discriminating on this basis. The FCA will be doing further work with firms to verify the data and to better understand…