Monday, July 26, 2010

DTN News: Six Israeli Soldiers Die In Romania Helicopter Crash: Report

Defense News: DTN News: Six Israeli Soldiers Die In Romania Helicopter Crash: Report
Source: DTN News / AFP
(NSI News Source Info) BUCHAREST, Romania - July 26, 2010: Six Israelis and one Romanian were killed on Monday when a military helicopter crashed in mountainous terrain in central Romania, local media said, quoting defence sources.
"Rescuers on the scene said there were no survivors," Ciprian Candea of the mountain rescue team based in Brasov told AFP.
But he could not immediately say how many bodies had been found, adding that access to the crash site was extremely difficult.
The defence ministry said six Israeli soldiers and one Romanian were on board the helicopter but did not confirm their deaths.
Defence ministry spokesman Constantin Spanu had previously told AFP one Romanian and two Israeli helicopters were taking part in the search and rescue operation.
Several dozen soldiers were also searching the area, he added.
Witnesses quoted by Antena 3 television channel said they had seen three helicopters flying above the mountain region around the city of Brasov.
"Smoke was coming out of one of the helicopters which started losing altitude," one of the witnesses was quoted as saying.
The helicopter was taking part in a joint military drill, Blue Sky 2010.
On July 18, the defence ministry announced an Israeli CH-53 helicopter participating in this exercise had made a crash landing after "sensing a failure aboard."
"Once the failure was fixed, the helicopter returned safely to the Boboc airbase," the ministry said.
Initial media reports had said US military personnel were on board the helicopter that crashed on Monday.
An Israeli military spokesman confirmed in a statement that a helicopter had gone down with seven people on board -- four pilots, two mechanics and a Romanian.
He did not confirm the death of six Israelis, but said their families had been informed of "the incident."
The statement added that Israel would send an aircraft with medical and search teams on board to Romania.

AFP News Headlines
Lebanon to deploy extra troops in south: French envoy

LEBANON TO DEPLOY EXTRA TROOPS IN SOUTH: FRENCH ENVOY

AFP - 7 mins ago

BEIRUT (AFP) - The Lebanese army is to deploy additional troops in south Lebanon, France's ambassador to Beirut said on Monday, almost a month after a string of attacks on UN peacekeepers in the region. More »

DTN News: F-16 World's Most Advanced 4th Generation Fighter: Lockheed Martin

Defense News: DTN News: F-16 World's Most Advanced 4th Generation Fighter: Lockheed Martin
Source: DTN News - - this article / report compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources
(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England - July 26, 2010: The versions of the F-16 being delivered to customers now - and which is in contention for an Indian order for 126 jets - are the most advanced 4th generation multi-role fighter aircraft currently available on the international market, its manufacturer Lockheed Martin said Wednesday.
"The F-16 continues as a modern, highly capable, affordable and supportable fighter. The programme is healthy and active, with firm production through 2013 and a strong likelihood of new orders that will extend the line for several more years," Bill McHenry, director of business development for F-16 programmes, told reporters at the Farnborough International Airshow.
Aircraft now being produced for Turkey, Pakistan, Morocco and Egypt are the advanced Block 50/52 F-16 C/D configuration. The United Arab Emirates was the launch customer for the Block 60 F-16 E/F version, which is the platform for the proposed variant called the F-16IN Super Viper for the Indian Air Force’s medium multi-role combat aircraft competition. A decision on this is likely later this year.
McHenry also added that there is a backlog of 86 F-16s, including a recent order from Egypt for 20 advanced Block 50/52 aircraft, the sixth follow-on buy for this country.
More than 4,450 F-16s have been delivered worldwide since the programme’s inception more than 30 years ago - including 53 follow-on buys by 14 countries.
In addition to the F-16 production programmes, Lockheed Martin continues to develop the F-16 for the future by integrating advanced technologies through upgrade programmes for existing F-16s to ensure interoperability with the world’s only 5th generation fighters - the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.
"This integration of advanced technologies for fielded and new aircraft provides an opportunity for F-16 operators to benefit from the latest developments in technology and capabilities for fighter aircraft," McHenry said.
"This synergy will parallel technology and provide a natural bridge from the 4th generation of fighters to the 5th generation," he added.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated July 26, 2010

Defense News: DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated July 26, 2010
Source: U.S. DoD issued July 26, 2010
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - July 26, 2010: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued July 26, 2010 are undermentioned;

CONTRACTS

ARMY

Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., was awarded on July 22 a $41,422,390 firm-fixed-price contract. This undefinitized contract action will be for 60 Iraqi heavy equipment transporter systems (HETS) and associated ancillary items. The Iraqi HETS are comprised of the M1070A0 tractor and the Fontaine 635NL trailer. The associated ancillary items include 6,240 spare tires; Iraqi HETS spare parts; non-standard trailer manuals; and IHETS operator training. Work is to be performed in Oshkosh, Wis., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-C-0594).

Longbow, LLC, Orlando, Fla., was awarded on July 22 a $39,509,964 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the award of engineering services for the Hellfire and Longbow missile requirements. Work is to be performed in Orlando, Fla. (50 percent); Baltimore, Md. (25 percent); United Arab Emirates (10 percent); and Taiwan (15 percent), with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2012. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, AMSAM-AC-TM-H, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-10-C-0256).

NAVY

Sauer, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a $15,350,000 firm-fixed-price task order #0006 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N69450-05-D-0181) for renovation of Building 5345, a historic three-story administration facility at Barksdale Air Force Base. The project scope includes structural upgrades, site improvements and anti-terrorism force protection. Work will be performed in Shreveport, La., and is expected to be completed by February 2012. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.

ASSETT, Inc.*, Manassas, Va., is being awarded a $14,588,350 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a Phase III Small Business Innovative Research program under Topic N05-149, entitled “Combat System of the Future,” to perform research, development and engineering services. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the total value of the contract to $59,093,867. Work will be performed in Manassas, Va., and is expected to be completed by July 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-10-C-6259).

Anderson Drace, JV*, Gulfport, Miss., is being awarded a $14,380,420 firm-fixed-price contract which provides for the design and construction of a bachelor enlisted quarters for the Corry “A” School students training at Naval Air Station Pensacola. The work to be performed provides 80 2-plus-2 modules for 320 Corry “A” School students training at the Center for Information Dominance. The contract contains one unexercised option which, if exercised, would increase cumulative contract value to $14,391,620. Work will be performed in Pensacola, Fla., and is expected to be completed by August 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 34 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (N69450-10-C-0755).

Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $13,803,372 firm-fixed-price modification to exercise an option to a previously awarded delivery order placed against basic ordering agreement N00019-07-G-0008 for the procurement of 107 swashplate actuators and 137 flaperon actuators for the MV-22 and CV-22 aircraft. Work will be performed in New York, N.Y., and is expected to be completed in January 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded an $11,475,605 firm-fixed-price order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) for the procurement of 889 Rover data link kits, 837 for the Navy and 52 for the Royal Australian Air Force, in support of engineering change proposal #6342 for the F/A-18E/F advanced targeting forward-looking infrared upgrade. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo. (70.5 percent); Spring Valley, Calif. (17.5 percent); Wallingford, Conn. (6.5 percent); Murphy, N.C. (3.5 percent); and Van Nuys, Calif. (2 percent). Work is expected to be completed in July 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($9,764,386; 85 percent) and the government of Australia ($1,711,219; 15 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Caddell Construction Co., Inc., Montgomery, Ala., is being awarded a $6,511,288 firm-fixed-price modification to increase the maximum dollar value of a design-build construction contract for the purchase of furniture, fixtures and equipment for the Command and Control Facility at the U. S. Army Central Command headquarters complex at Shaw Air Force Base. The work to be performed provides for the base realignment and closure project to relocate Army Central Command personnel from Fort Gillem and Fort McPherson, Ga., to Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. After award of this modification, the total cumulative contract value will be $98,406,251. Work will be performed in Sumter, S.C., and is expected to be completed by February 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, Resident Officer in Charge of Construction-Shaw, is the contracting activity (N69450-09-C-1756).

Daylight Defense, LLC, Poway, Calif., is being awarded a $5,681,229 cost-plus-fixed-fee completion type research and development contract. The contractor will perform efforts associated with research into and development of quantium cascade laser demonstrator units for emerging directional infrared countermeasure systems for use against terrorist attacks. Work will be performed in Poway, Calif., and is expected to be completed July 2012. Contract funds will not expire at end of current fiscal year. The contract was procured under Naval Research Laboratory Broad Agency Announcement N00173-01, Topic 56-00-05, with one offer received. The Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00173-10-C-6021).

AIR FORCE

Boeing Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Seattle, Wash., was awarded a $6,025,528 contract to procure the mission navigation systems upgrade for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force airborne warning and control system fleet of four aircraft. At this time, $6,025,528 has been obligated. ESC/HBSKI at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity (F19628-01-D-0016; Delivery Order 0065).

*Small business

DTN News: UAE Says BlackBerry Is Security Threat

Defense News: DTN News: UAE Says BlackBerry Is Security Threat
Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - July 26, 2010: The United Arab Emirates has declared BlackBerry smartphones a potential threat to national security, saying the devices operate beyond the jurisdiction of national laws and are open to misuse.
The move raises concerns of another attempt by the government to control the flow of information in the Arab Gulf nation, which actively censors websites and other forms of media seen as harming national security or conservative local values. At the same time, however, the UAE is trying to establish itself as an international business hub.
This is the second major controversy over the Blackberry in the UAE. A year ago, the Middle East country's biggest state-run mobile operator was caught encouraging unwitting BlackBerry users to install software on the devices that could allow outsiders to peer inside. The government has never made fully clear what happened in that case.
In the latest flap, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority voiced fears that the BlackBerry manages data in a way that could allow it to be misused. BlackBerry device were singled out because they are the only phones operating in the country that automatically relay users' information to privately managed data centers overseas, the regulator said.
"As a result of how Blackberry data is managed and stored, in their current form, certain Blackberry applications allow people to misuse the service, causing serious social, judicial and national security repercussions," the regulator said in a statement carried on the state news agency late Sunday.
It said that BlackBerry devices operate "beyond the jurisdiction" of national laws because they immediately send data abroad to be "managed by a foreign, commercial organization."
That is apparently a reference to BlackBerry maker Research in Motion's system of relaying data such as e-mail messages to network servers that are separate from those operated by local mobile providers.
The TRA said the devices were launched in the UAE before "safety, emergency and national security legislation" regulating their use was enacted in 2007. It did not specify what changes it is seeking.
The comments raised questions about the gadgets' legality in the country, home to the Mideast business hub of Dubai.
An official at the TRA said Monday the agency had no further comment, and that no decision about the phones' future in the country had been made. She would not provide her name, as is customary among Emirati government officials.
Spokeswomen for BlackBerry maker RIM said the Canadian company did not yet have any comment.
Just over a year ago, RIM criticized a directive by UAE state-owned mobile operator Etisalat telling the company's more than 145,000 BlackBerry users to install software described as an "upgrade ... required for service enhancements."
RIM said tests showed the update was in fact spy software that could allow outsiders to access private information stored on the phones. It strongly distanced itself from Etisalat's decision, and provided details instructing users how to remove the software.

DTN News: Boeing Completes Final Design Review For P-8I

Defense News: DTN News: Boeing Completes Final Design Review For P-8I
Source: DTN News / Boeing
(NSI News Source Info) SEATTLE,- July 26, 2010:Boeing [NYSE: BA] on July 16 successfully completed the final design review (FDR) for P-8I, India's long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. The P-8I, based on the Boeing 737 commercial airplane, is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing is developing for the U.S. Navy.
Completion of the FDR locks in the design for the aircraft, radar, communications, navigation, mission computing, acoustics and sensors, as well as the ground and test support equipment. It also paves the way for the program to begin assembling the first P-8I aircraft.
"For P-8I, we are incorporating not only India-unique design features, but also India-built subsystems, so this agreement that the design addresses all customer requirements is a huge milestone," said Leland Wight, P-8I program manager for Boeing. "It also leads us to the program's next stage: We are on track to start fabricating the P-8I's empennage section before the end of this year."
During the five-day FDR held in Renton, Wash., Indian Navy officers met with Boeing representatives from Defense, Space & Security and Commercial Airplanes to review relevant design information and performance against specifications.
"The P-8I's unique capabilities are tailored to India's maritime-patrol requirements. It has the reach and capability to defend India's vast coastline and maritime waters," said Vivek Lall, vice president and India country lead, Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
Boeing will deliver the first P-8I to India within 48 months of the original contract signing, which took place in January 2009. India is the first customer for the P-8 outside the United States.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide.

DTN News: Yemen Shiite Rebels Seize Army Post, Capture Soldiers

Defense News: DTN News: Yemen Shiite Rebels Seize Army Post, Capture Soldiers
Source: DTN News / AFP
(NSI News Source Info) SANAA, Yemen - July 26, 2010: Shiite rebels took control of a strategic army post in north Yemen on Monday and captured some 70 soldiers, in the latest clash to endanger an increasingly fragile truce, armyand tribal sources said.
"Huthi (rebels) took control of a military position in Al-Zaala and captured all remaining soldiers," a tribal source told AFP. "Violent clashes erupted since the early morning hours."
A local military official said the rebels captured some 70 soldiers.
The attack came after residents contacted on Sunday by telephone said six soldiers were killed in fighting between the Zaidi Shiite rebels, also known as Huthis, and a government-backed tribe in tense northern Yemen.
Al-Zaala controls the road between Sanaa and Saada, the rebels' stronghold.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh said on Sunday that he did not want another war with the Huthis. "Peace, security and stability are the choice of the state... I say no to another war," he said at a military ceremony.
"Stop jeopardising the security and stability of the province of Saada," Saleh said, referring to on-off confrontations in the restive region between government forces and the Huthis since the rebellion began in 2004.
"Huthis who are defying rules and laws should implement" the ceasefire agreement which ended the last round of fighting in February, the president said.
At least 70 people were reportedly killed in clashes earlier this month with both sides accusing each other of violating the truce.
Monday's fighting, in which automatic weapons and cannons were used, erupted after a truce negotiated on Saturday foundered over differences "about control of a position held by men of the Bin Aziz tribe," a mediator said.
He said tribal chief Sheikh Saghir Aziz had rejected rebel demands to pull out his men from Al-Zaala but without handing over the position to the army.
After Al-Zaala, the rebels are seeking to impose their control over another position, Al-Madaen, another tribal source told AFP.
Mediators, headed by Sheikh Abdo Hubeish are trying to secure the evacuation of Aziz, whose son was killed during Monday's clashes after his nephew was killed in an earlier round of fighting. The rebels' spokesman Mohammed Abdul Salam denied last week that the Huthis had clashed with local tribes, claiming that the fighting in Al-Amsheyah, the village of the Bin Aziz tribe, was with the army.
Aziz is a member of the parliamentary bloc of the ruling General People's Congress party.
Last week 62 MPs signed a petition urging the government to "assume responsibility for ending violations committed by the Huthis," and threatening to suspend their parliamentary membership if the authorities failed to help Aziz.
The Zaidi rebels complain of political, social and religious marginalisation, and have repeatedly fought with government forces in a conflict that killed thousands and displaced some 250,000 people.

DTN News: Pakistan - ISI Denounces US Intelligence Reports

Defense News: DTN News: Pakistan - ISI Denounces US Intelligence Reports
(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - July 26, 2010: Pakistan's most powerful spy agency on Monday lashed out against a trove of leaked US intelligence reports that alleged close connections between it and Taliban militants fighting Nato troops in Afghanistan, calling the accusations malicious and unsubstantiated.
The reports, which were released by the online whistle-blower Wikileaks, raised new questions about whether the US can succeed in convincing Pakistan to sever its historical links to the Taliban and deny them sanctuary along the Afghan border - actions that many analysts believe are critical for success in Afghanistan.
The US has given Pakistan billions in military aid since 2001 to enlist its cooperation.
But the leaked reports, which cover a period from January 2004 to December 2009, suggest that current and former officials from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency have met directly with the Taliban to coordinate attacks in Afghanistan.
A senior ISI official denied the allegations, saying they were from raw intelligence reports that had not been verified and were meant to impugn the reputation of the spy agency. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with the agency's policy.
Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, spokesman for Pakistan's army, was not reachable for comment Monday on the intelligence reports. The ISI is under the command of the army.
In one report from March 2008, the ISI is alleged to have ordered Siraj Haqqani, a prominent militant based in northwestern Pakistan, to kill workers from archenemy India who are building roads in Afghanistan. In another from March 2007, the ISI is alleged to have given Jalaluddin Haqqani, Siraj's father, 1,000 motorcycles to carry out suicide attacks in Afghanistan.
These reports, and many of the other 91,000 released by Wikileaks, cannot be independently verified.
Other reports mention former ISI officials, including Hamid Gul, who headed the agency in the late 1980s when Pakistan and the US were supporting militants in their fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan.
In one report, Gul, who has been an outspoken supporter of the Taliban, is alleged to have dispatched three men in December 2006 to carry out attacks in Afghanistan's capital.
''Reportedly Gul's final comment to the three individuals was to make the snow warm in Kabul, basically telling them to set Kabul aflame,'' said the report.
Gul, who appeared multiple times throughout the reports, denied allegations that he was working with the Taliban, saying ''these leaked documents against me are fiction and nothing else.''
Some of the reports, which were generated by junior intelligence officers, do seem a bit far-fetched. One dispatch from February 2007 claims militants teamed up with the ISI to kill Afghan and Nato forces with poisoned alcohol bought in Pakistan.
Wikileaks released the documents, which include classified cables and assessments between military officers and diplomats, on its website Sunday. The New York Times, London's Guardian newspaper and the German weekly Der Spiegel were given early access to the documents.
The Guardian expressed skepticism about the allegations in the documents, saying ''they fail to provide a convincing smoking gun'' for complicity between the ISI and the Taliban.
It said more than 180 intelligence files accuse the ISI of supplying, arming and training the insurgency since at least 2004.
*This article "Pakistan - ISI Denounces US Intelligence Reports" By Dawn.com & link to this article....click here.
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com
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Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied herein, DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Unless otherwise indicated, opinions expressed herein are those of the author of the page and do not necessarily represent the corporate views of DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News.

DTN News: Asia News - Headlines

Defense News: DTN News: Asia News - Headlines
Source: DTN News - - World Continent Headlines compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 26, 2010: DTN News are providing on a trial basis a comprehensive World Continent Headlines news for viewers choice and to read complete article/story, please click on link respectively;
  • Leaks provide ground-level account of Afghan war

    AP – 17 mins ago
    A US Army soldier from 1-320th Alpha Battery, 2nd Brigade of...

    WASHINGTON - Some 90,000 leaked U.S. military records posted online Sunday amount to a blow-by-blow account of six years of the Afghanistan war, including unreported incidents of Afghan civilian killings as well as covert operations against Taliban figures.

  • Khmer Rouge prison chief handed 30 years in prison

    AFP – 27 mins ago
    Former Khmer Rouge prison chief S-21, Kaing Guek Eav (Duch) sits...

    PHNOM PENH (AFP) - A UN-backed war crimes court on Monday sentenced a former Khmer Rouge prison chief to 30 years in prison for his role in Cambodia's "Killing Fields" atrocities in the late 1970s.

  • Khmer Rouge's chief jailer guilty of war crimes

    AP – 29 mins ago

    PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - A U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal sentenced the former Khmer Rouge chief jailer Monday to 35 years in prison — the first verdict involving a leader of the genocidal regime that destroyed a generation of Cambodia's people.

  • Indian pitches no help for Ashes buildup - press

    AFP – 35 mins ago
    Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (R) plays a shot during a...

    SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia face a less than ideal preparation for this year's home Ashes series with a two-Test series on unhelpful pitches in India, the Australian press said on Monday.

  • Sri Lanka bat against India in second Test

    AFP – 43 mins ago
    Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to...

    COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat in the second cricket Test against India at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Monday.

  • Taliban say they're holding U.S. soldier and second killed

    Reuters – 43 mins ago
    A pamphlet, appealing for information about one of two U.S. soldiers...

    KABUL (Reuters) - The Taliban said on Sunday they were holding prisoner one of two U.S. soldiers who strayed into territory controlled by the insurgents, and that the other had been killed.

  • Khmer Rouge prison chief sentenced to 35 years in jail

    Reuters – 47 mins ago
    People offer incense during a Buddhist ceremony to commemorate...

    PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - A U.N.-backed tribunal sentenced a senior member of the Khmer Rouge to 35 years in prison on Monday in its first verdict three decades after the Maoist "Killing Fields" revolution tore Cambodia apart.

  • Japan's exports rise for seventh straight month

    AP – 58 mins ago
    In this March 29, 2010 file photo, Japanese vehicles for export...

    TOKYO - Japan's exports rose for the seventh straight month in June, driven by machinery and steel products, indicating that overseas demand continues to underpin recovery in the world's No. 2 economy even amid a stronger yen.

  • Khmer Rouge prison chief given 30 years in prison

    AFP – 1 hr 1 min ago
    Video feed from the Extraordinary Chamber in the Courts of Cambodia...

    PHNOM PENH (AFP) - A former Khmer Rouge prison chief was handed a 30-year prison sentence Monday by a UN-backed war crimes court for his role in atrocities committed under the regime in the late 1970s.

  • U.S. says Afghan war will get worse

    Reuters – 1 hr 16 mins ago
    A pamphlet, appealing for information about one of two U.S. soldiers...

    KABUL (Reuters) - More NATO troops will die fighting in Afghanistan this summer, a top U.S. military officer said, as a new report emerged implicating Pakistan for actively collaborating with the insurgency while accepting U.S. aid.

  • US holds drills off Korea as Pyongyang talks war

    AP – 1 hr 24 mins ago
    File photo of South Korean Navy Patrol Combat Corvettes staging...

    ABOARD USS GEORGE WASHINGTON - U.S. and South Korean warships and helicopters practiced anti-submarine maneuvers off the Korean peninsula Monday, readying defenses against the kind of weapon that allegedly sank a South Korean navy vessel earlier this year.

  • Pakistan's woes compounded by severe water crisis

    AP – 1 hr 41 mins ago

    ISLAMABAD - Besides grappling with insurgents, suicide bombers and deep poverty, Pakistan is facing a severe crisis as a ballooning population and inefficient farming combine to reduce the availability of water.