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World U.S. military says kills al Qaeda leader in key Yemen province Reuters • June 22, 2017 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Thursday it carried out an air strike in Yemen that killed Abu Khattab al Awlaqi, the emir for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's Shabwa province, along with two other militants. "Al Awlaqi was a senior leader responsible for planning and conducting terrorist attacks against civilians," the U.S. military's Central Command said in a statement. "He had significant influence throughout AQAP's terrorist stronghold, had ties and access to the group's other senior leaders, and was implicated in planning and leading efforts to exacerbate instability in southern Yemen." (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
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World US Navy to hold Japan memorial for sailors killed in crash AFP • June 23, 2017 The sailors were killed when the USS Fitzgerald collided with a Philippine-flagged container ship on June 17 (AFP Photo/STR) More Tokyo (AFP) - The US navy said Friday it will hold a memorial ceremony for seven sailors killed when their destroyer collided with a container ship off Japan's coast last weekend. The service will be held on Tuesday at the naval base in Yokosuka, southwest of Tokyo, where the badly damaged destroyer USS Fitzgerald is based, a navy spokeswoman said. The sailors' relatives, US military officials and some 300 crew members of the guided-missile warship will join the private event, she added, without releasing other details. The memorial comes as investigators probe what happened in the early hours of June 17 when the ship collided with the Philippine-flagged ACX Crystal in a busy channel near the destroyer's home ba...
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NATO’s Buildup In Black Sea Could Lead To Cold War, Russian Envoy Says Vishakha Sonawane International Business Times February 17, 2017 Some 2,800 pieces of military hardware arrived in the German port city of Bremerhaven, including 87 tanks and 144 Bradley fighting vehicles. More There could be a situation of a Cold War if NATO increased its military buildup in the Black Sea region, Russian ambassador to the 28-nation bloc said Thursday. The comments came after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg vowed to fortify its military presence in the region, where Moscow is accused of growing its assertion. “All these decisions will be subject of thorough analysis. ... And, undoubtedly, we will take all necessary measures to properly safeguard Russia’s national interests in this region,” Alexander Grushko, the Russian envoy to NATO, said. “The danger lies in the fact that [NATO] is expected to increa...
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North Korea says will reject Malaysian post-mortem of Kim Jong Nam By Emily Chow and Joseph Sipalan Reuters February 17, 2017 312 Comments 1 / 4 Kim Jong Nam arrives at Beijing airport in Beijing, China, in this photo taken by Kyodo Kim Jong Nam arrives at Beijing airport in Beijing, China, in this photo taken by Kyodo February 11, 2007. Picture taken February 11, 2007. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS By Emily Chow and Joseph Sipalan KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - North Korea said it would "categorically reject" Malaysia's autopsy report on the death of the man identified by Malaysian authorities as the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong Nam died in Kuala Lumpur this week after being assaulted at Kuala Lumpur International Airport with what was thought to be a fast-acting poison. South Korean and U.S. officials have said he was assassinated by North Korean agents. In its firs...
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U.S. commander expects tough battle in western Mosul By Ayat Basma Reuters February 15, 2017 By Ayat Basma NORTH OF MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Islamic State will put up a tough fight in the western side Mosul that remains under its control despite the losses the group suffered so far in the battle for the Iraqi, a U.S. commander said on Wednesday. "It is hard and hard every day here," Colonel Patrick Work, commander of the 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, said in an interview with Reuters TV at a brigade artillery position in northern Mosul. "There are no guarantees certainly when you are fighting and there is no timetable, it is a determined enemy that we are up against," he said. The United States is providing air and ground support to Iraqi and Kurdish forces trying to dislodge the hardline group from Mosul, captured in 2014. The offensive paused last month after the captu...