Tag: military

Paris is hosting the traditional fireworks on the Eiffel Tower on Sunday (July 14) to celebrate the French national day, Bastille Day. The fireworks start at 11PM CEST. Earlier in the day, French president Emmanuel Macron led the traditional military parade on the Champs Elysees. Bastille Day on July 14 commemorates the day the French people took over the Bastille prison in Paris in 1789, which led to the French revolution. Watch the Paris fireworks live from 11PM CEST by clicking on the...

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has the authority to waive sanctions on Turkey for its purchase of Russian air defence systems and should find a "middle ground" in the dispute, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday. Erdogan's comments came two days after NATO member Turkey took delivery of the first consignment of advanced Russian S-400 missile defence system parts, despite warnings from Washington that the move would trigger U.S. sanctions. Broadcaster Haberturk quoted Erdogan as telling Turkish journalists that...

An armed flyboard rider was among the highlights of this year's Bastille Day military parade in Paris on Sunday. It was part of a demonstration of new military technology that also included ground robots. The jet-powered flying device was designed by French inventor Franky Zapata, who was given a €1.3 million development grant. Macron gave an approving nod as the device was demonstrated. “Proud of our army, modern and innovative,” he later tweeted. The parade also included several flypasts. Source

French president Emmanuel Macron announced on Saturday the launch of a new space military command during a speech on the eve of the Bastille Day celebrations in France. Speaking in front of a military audience at the French Defense ministry in Paris, the president added that the new command would eventually be part of his country's air force. The investment involved has yet to be determined. "To give substance to this doctrine and ensure the development and reinforcement of our space capabilities,...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Saturday that a two-year budget agreement with the Trump administration must include equal spending increases for defense and nondefense spending, plus additional money for a program to strengthen healthcare for military veterans. “We all agree on the need to address the debt limit, but we also must reach an agreement on spending priorities based upon the principle of parity as soon as possible,” the top Democrat in the House...

A new report has revealed the levels of physical and sexual violence that soldiers serving in the South Korean military face. South Korea enforces national service, and while homosexuality is legal in the country, it is against the Military Service Act. People convicted of breaching Article 92-6 of the Act, which criminalises “anal intercourse”, face up to two years in prison. And now a new report from Amnesty, titled South Korea: Serving in Silence: LGBTI People in South Korea’s Military, criticised...

The House of Representatives just passed an amendment to reverse President Donald Tr*mp’s barbaric, homophobic policy that would ban transgender people from serving in the military. The amendment to the National Defense Authorization would put protections in place under law that state anyone who meets gender-neutral occupational standards can serve in the forces regardless of race, sexuality, religion or gender identity. Executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, Mara Keisling, said in a statement: “This is a crucial moment...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives approved a $733 billion defense policy bill on Friday, defying President Donald Trump’s veto threat by including provisions like a clampdown on funding for his planned wall on the border with Mexico. The House passed its version of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, by a 220 to 197 vote without a single Republican voting in favor of the bill and after some of the most liberal Democrats opposed...

(Reuters) - The Pentagon is rapidly assessing the United States’ rare earths capability in a race to secure stable supply of the specialized material amid the country’s trade conflict with China, which controls the rare earths industry, according to a government document seen by Reuters. The push comes weeks after China threatened to curb exports to the United States of rare earths, a group of 17 minerals used to build fighter jets, tanks and a range of consumer...

Turkey has received its first shipment of a Russian-made missile defence system, the Defence Ministry confirmed in a statement, fanning tensions with the US and itching the country closer to potential sanctions. The first part of the S-400 Long-Range Air Defence Missile System was flown to a military air base near the capital Ankara. It comes just two days after the US warned again that sanctions could be imposed on Turkey if the country went ahead with the delivery of Russian...

(image via Depositphotos) The House of Representatives has approved amendment to the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act that would reverse Donald Trump’s ban on transgender military service members. The measure, known as the ‘Harry Truman’ amendment, passed by a vote of 242-187.  Ten Republicans joined the full Democratic caucus in approving the amendment.  The sponsor of the amendment, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), said, “Over the last three years, 14,000 transgender service members have served openly and successfully.” The congresswoman also noted that “all...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration said on Tuesday he would veto a $733 billion defense bill being considered by the House of Representatives, saying it provides less money than he wants for the military and disagreeing with some of its policy provisions. The version of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, up for a vote in the Democratic-led House sets $733 billion in military spending, $17 billion less than Trump’s fiscal-year 2020 budget request. The...

Screenshot via Twitter @ABCNewsLive A US Army specialist has come out on national TV. This past weekend was the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. To honor Stonewall and the legacy of Pride that followed it, the World Pride Parade in New York City was visited by around 3 million people. And one of those three million was Brion Houston. ABC News was in Manhattan to record the parade and all of its participants/watchers. During the day, they caught up with Houston...

A new study has revealed a refreshing belief in light of the Trump Administration’s attacks on transgender people: a whopping 71% of the country approves of transgender people serving in the military. The news comes on the heels of renewed comments by Trump defending his ban on transgender people serving in the armed forces after that B.S. policy he announced on Twitter last summer that went into effect this past April. The survey, conducted by popular pollster Gallup, found that 88%...