India and Pakistan confirm a ceasefire deal after US-mediated talks to end their conflict
ISLAMABAD (AP) — India and Pakistan confirm a ceasefire deal after US-mediated talks to end their conflict.
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Business Insider
32 minutes ago
- Business Insider
A NATO member U-turned on buying Black Hawks, suggesting Russia's war shows they aren't the best weapons to focus on
NATO member Poland has postponed its purchase of 32 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters, with military officials there suggesting the way Russia is fighting in Ukraine shows they're not the right equipment for it to focus on. General Wieslaw Kukula, the Polish armed forces chief of staff, said at a Friday press conference that "we have decided to change the priorities of the helicopter programs" in order to "better adapt to the challenges of future warfare," Reuters reported. Poland's deputy defense minister, Pawel Bejda, said on X that his country's military, pilots, and experts were analyzing the geopolitical situation, as well as "the war in Ukraine" and what Russia is buying and equipping its military with. Poland shares a land border with Ukraine. Grzegorz Polak, a spokesman for Poland's Armament Agency, which buys equipment for its military, told Reuters that its priorities needed "some correction" and that it might be necessary to buy other equipment instead of the helicopters, "such as drones, or tanks, or some kind of communication." He also told Polish outlet Defence24 that the armed force's priorities have changed amid evolving threats. Poland, like other European countries, has warned that Russia could attack elsewhere on the continent. Its prime minister, Donald Tusk, warned in March that Russia's big military investments suggest it's readying for a conflict with someone bigger than Ukraine in the next three to four years. Poland is already the highest spender on defense in NATO, as a proportion of its GDP, and has been a major ally of Ukraine throughout the invasion. Helicopters over Ukraine Helicopters have played a role in Russia's invasion, with both sides using them to counter drones, offer air support, and launch attacks. They were particularly effective for Ukraine against Russia's attempts to seize a key airfield shortly after the invasion began in February 2022, and for Russia during Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive. But they have also proved vulnerable. The proliferation of air defenses has meant that they, like other aircraft, have had to hang back from frontline fighting more than in past conflicts, making them far less useful. Ukraine's success at taking down Russia's Ka-52 helicopters in 2023 meant Russia started using them less. Many were hit by US-provided M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS. Reports suggest that Russia lost more than 100 helicopters in the first two years of the war. Ukraine has also destroyed some Russian helicopters at bases far from the front lines. Even so, losses could have been higher. Mark Hertling, a former commander of United States Army Europe, told BI in January that Russia has been "very poor" in the way it used helicopters and other air assets, but also that Ukraine's air-defense shortages have protected them. Andrew Curtis, an independent defence and security researcher who spent 35 years as a UK Royal Air Force officer, told BI last year that one lesson Western countries could take from the war is "about the vulnerability of helicopters in the modern battlefield where hiding and seeking is not a child's game, it's a matter of life and death." A helicopter strategy The S-70i is a variant of the UH-60 Black Hawk made by PZL Mielec, a Polish company owned by the US's Lockheed Martin. Poland's plan to buy them began in 2023, under a previous government. The aim was for the helicopters to be used for combat and logistics, and to work with AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters ordered from the US. Bejda, the deputy defense minister, said the latest move did not involve terminating a contract, as one was never signed. But it has still led to some domestic issues. Mariusz Blaszczak, Poland's former defense minister, described the decision as a disgrace in a post on X, saying it would lead to job losses, delays in replacing the country's helicopter fleet, and a loss of interoperability because Poland's military already uses some Black Hawks. The postponement comes after Poland spent years investing in helicopter technology, including ordering 96 Apache Guardians in a deal signed last year, and 32 Leonardo AW149s in a deal signed in 2022. Bejda said Poland would still prioritize some helicopters, including training and combat helicopters, a heavy transport helicopter, and search and rescue helicopters. But the government, which took office at the end of 2023, clearly views increasing the fleet as less important than investing in other military assets. The war in Ukraine has led Western countries to boost their own defense spending and to change their priorities, including through buying more air defenses and drones, investing more in tanks, and even bringing back old types of training like trench warfare.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Russian authorities start issuing fines for photos and videos of Ukrainian drone strikes
The authorities in Russia's Kaluga and Tula oblasts have begun fining local residents and journalists for posting photos and videos of Ukrainian drone strikes on social media. Source: The Moscow Times Details: The Kaluga Oblast government reported that by early June, 42 cases of violations of the ban on sharing information about the aftermath of drone crashes had been filed with the courts. Two of the violations had been committed by media outlets and five by local residents. Three of the cases involved comments on social media. The remainder were filed against administrators or owners of Telegram channels, VKontakte pages and personal accounts. In Kaluga Oblast, the fines for violating the ban range from RUB 3,000 to 200,000 (approx. US$38 to US$2,500). Meanwhile, in Tula Oblast, only one fine has been issued so far. At the end of May, a local resident was ordered to pay RUB 25,000 (around US$316) for posting a video of a Ukrainian drone attack on the city of Aleksin on Telegram. Background: A drone recently hit the Azot chemical plant in Novomoskovsk, Tula Oblast, causing a fire. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Entrepreneur
2 hours ago
- Entrepreneur
Rare Earth Curb To Affect Smartphone Makers, Price Hike Likely: Experts
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. As new restrictions on rare earth magnets imposed by China are starting to choke India's auto sector – heavily dependent on the import of the magnets – another sector which can be affected in the near future is smart phones. Smartphone makers might try to absorb the hit for a while, but if disruptions continue, it can lead to price hikes or even delays in new launches. In smartphones, magnets made from Neodymium and Dysprosium are used in speakers and microphones, haptic motors, and camera modules for OIS, etc. China holds almost a monopoly in processing rare earth elements. These rare earth metals are specially used to make powerful small size magnets that are found in almost every smartphone's components like in speakers, vibration units and display systems. As China tightens exports citing national security reasons, it has effects across the world. The problem: Price hike, delay in new launches "For India, this could lead to delays in getting key components or paying more to source them. Right now the bigger impact is being felt by sectors like electric vehicles but smartphones may also face similar issues in the coming time," said Munish Vaid, vice president, Primus Partners. Most Indian smartphone manufacturers depend on global supply chains which trace back to China. Therefore, even if India is not directly buying the raw material, any disruption at the source will affect the country. "While some of the final assembly for these components happens in India, rare earth magnet assembly for OIS, haptics, etc., is done outside India. While the auto sector might face the immediate effect of shortages and supply chain disruptions. Smartphones, although using less volume per unit of these magnets, given the sheer volume of smartphones produced, could see fewer advanced features, supply chain disruptions, or increased costs if the issue persists," said Parv Sharma, Senior Analyst, Counterpoint Research. China's curbs on rare earth exports threaten not only India but also global supply chains. With China controlling about 60 percent of global rare earth mining and over 90 percent of processing capacity, countries are likely to face bottlenecks, despite efforts on localizing production. If the situation drags on, the costs of smartphones are likely to go up. "Smartphone makers usually plan ahead and have stock for a few months, but rare earth magnets are used in components like speakers and motors that are hard to replace on short notice. If Chinese exports slow down or prices rise, that added cost will eventually add up in the final product. It may not be huge at first, but for low-end smartphones, where margins are thin, these can either reduce margins for companies or consumers will have to bear the burden of price rise," explained Vaid. How can India seek immediate relief Indian OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers are likely to accelerate efforts to diversify rare earth sourcing from regions such as Australia, Africa, and Myanmar. In the short run, India should look at building reserves and sourcing from other friendly countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Russia or Brazil. These countries have rare earth deposits and are eager to reduce global dependence on China. India already has some rare earth reserves of its own. "We need to ramp up local processing and manufacturing capabilities. The government's production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes could be expanded to support this space. Also, we should invest in recycling, old smartphones and electronics contain magnets that can be reused if we set up the right infrastructure. At the same time, our manufacturers and tech companies need to innovate," Vaid added. "We expect a stronger push to develop domestic refining capabilities. The government may also ramp up exploration and extraction of rare earth reserves in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to strengthen long-term self-reliance in critical materials," said Soumen Mandal, senior analyst, Counterpoint Research. According to IDC, in the first quarter of 2025, India's smartphone shipments reached 32 million units. The number of phones made in India every year is big, hence, even a small increase in component prices can add up quickly. "With newer smartphones packing in more features, like better sound, stronger vibrations and advanced displays, the reliance on rare earths is increasing. The impact may not be as huge as in cars, but it is something that could affect both pricing and innovation down the line," Vaid explained. There will be challenges in the near term to increase value addition in India — in the longer-run India will have to look for alternative sources — increase local production and recycle to de-risk from the global supply chain.
