logo
NATO expands satellite surveillance to monitor Russian activity

NATO expands satellite surveillance to monitor Russian activity

Yahoo3 days ago

Admiral Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, has stated that the Alliance is expanding its satellite surveillance capabilities to cover larger areas, enabling NATO to track military movements in Ukraine and along Russia's borders with Eastern European countries.
Source: Vandier in an interview with Bloomberg, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Vandier said that the new tool will allow NATO to monitor "huge areas", including manoeuvres, troop movements and battlefield actions for the first time.
"Today we're not certain the Russians will stop at Ukraine. We'll be able to tell them: we're watching," he noted.
Bloomberg reports that NATO has selected the American satellite imagery provider Planet Labs to implement the initiative.
The new project has been named Smart Indication And Warning Broad Area Detection (SINBAD). It aims to conduct frequent monitoring of large areas across the globe throughout the year, using artificial intelligence to detect changes and automatically issue warnings.
An Alliance official told Bloomberg that the technology could also be used to monitor the Arctic, which is becoming increasingly strategic due to rising Russian and Chinese interests in the region.
Background:
NATO member states are preparing to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP. Part of these funds will support Ukraine, which could significantly strengthen the capabilities of Ukraine's defence forces.
The new spending target is expected to be divided: 3.5% of GDP for direct military needs and another 1.5% for broader security projects, including infrastructure.
Some NATO countries, such as Canada and Luxembourg, may provide aid to Ukraine and consider this to be fulfilling the new 5% GDP defence spending commitment.
Read more: No promises, just funding: NATO Hague summit to approve new ways to support Ukraine in fight
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

GOP lawmakers push bill touting dads for Father's Day — and calling out crisis of 1 and 4 kids growing up without one
GOP lawmakers push bill touting dads for Father's Day — and calling out crisis of 1 and 4 kids growing up without one

New York Post

timean hour ago

  • New York Post

GOP lawmakers push bill touting dads for Father's Day — and calling out crisis of 1 and 4 kids growing up without one

Two Republican reps unveiled a resolution in time for Father's Day aimed at drawing attention to the millions of kids growing up without fathers — roughly one in four US children — and underscoring the important roles that dads play in American society. Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and Burgess Owens (R-Utah) introduced the resolution in the House earlier this month and urged policymakers to back solutions that encourage fatherhood. 'I'm blessed with six children and 17 grandchildren — they are the heartbeat of everything I do,' Owens, 73, explained about the resolution. 'We know that when fathers are engaged, children thrive, succeed in school, stay out of trouble and build brighter futures. 'This Father's Day, I'm proud to reintroduce this resolution to recognize the power and purpose of fatherhood, and to send a clear message: America is stronger when families are strong, fathers are present, and parents are empowered.' The resolution, HR 487, which hasn't received a vote yet, declares that 'fatherhood is essential to the development of all children.' 3 The GOP reps are hoping the House will adopt the resolution that highlights the importance of fatherhood. Getty Images 3 Rep. Burgess Owens has six children and seventeen grandchildren. Getty Images About 18.4 million children — roughly a quarter of American kids — live without any father in the home — including a biological, step or adoptive dad, according to US Census Bureau data. Roughly 80% of single-parent households are run by single moms, one study from 2022 found. 'A father's impact is truly incalculable,' Donalds, who is running for Florida governor, said in a statement. 'It is fundamental for growth and development throughout a child's life. Fathers are providers, protectors, teachers, mentors, role models, and so much more.' 'Too many children across our country have been robbed of this lasting influence and we must do everything we can to end the tragic cycle of fatherlessness in America. I'm proud to partner with Congressman Owens to express the importance of this timeless institution.' The resolution is also being championed by former Minnesota Vikings and University of Minnesota football player Jack Brewer, whose eponymous foundation has worked to combat the fatherhood crisis in the US. Last week, the Jack Brewer Foundation celebrated the grand opening of its National Fatherhood Center in Washington, DC. 'We should be embarrassed as the most fatherless nation in the world and declare war on this crisis in America,' Brewer said. 3 Jack Brewer's eponymous foundation opened its National Fatherhood Center in Washington, D.C. last week. Bloomberg via Getty Images 'Too many vulnerable children and families have been devastated, and we must address all policies that contribute to dismantling homes, ensuring that both a mother and a father are present to support their children.' The resolution also draws attention to the impact of fatherlessness in minority communities and pushes for solutions such as workforce reentry initiatives for incarcerated parents, mentorship programs, and tax incentives for parents. The measure also hails the First Step Act, opportunity zones and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUS) for helping to address fatherlessness in minority communities. 'Fatherlessness and the lack of important role models in the lives of children today are a root cause of the violence and unrest we are witnessing in our Nation,' the resolution warned.

Trump's DOJ should stop treating CAIR as a legitimate immigration provider
Trump's DOJ should stop treating CAIR as a legitimate immigration provider

The Hill

timean hour ago

  • The Hill

Trump's DOJ should stop treating CAIR as a legitimate immigration provider

Following two recent terrorist attacks on American soil — one killing a young couple outside the Jewish Museum in D.C., and another firebombing elderly Jews in Colorado — several high-profile politicians have called for the Council on American Islamic Relations to be designated as a terrorist organization. Why is this? CAIR presents itself as a civil rights organization, but it has a longstanding association with Hamas, for which 'ample evidence' was cited in a court ruling unsealed in 2010. CAIR was an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation case, the largest foreign terror financing case in U.S. history. This may not be enough on its own for the terrorism designation that those politicians called for, but it is enough that the government should not be conferring special privileges, influence and legitimacy upon CAIR's most powerful state affiliate, CAIR-California. Since 2015, CAIR-California has enjoyed a special designation that allows non-lawyers on CAIR's staff to represent clients in immigration proceedings. This accreditation also qualifies CAIR-California to receive certain government funding. This status is a privilege, not a right. According to federal regulations, Executive Office of Immigration Review accreditation is reserved for organizations that are acting in the public interest and maintain ethical and financial accountability. CAIR-California has failed to meet these standards. The Department of Justice should use its lawful authority to revoke CAIR-California's accreditation with the Executive Office of Immigration Review. CAIR leaders' open support for terrorist violence — which caused the Biden White House to shun the group after the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attacks against Israeli civilians — is clearly not in the public interest. In the time since, its extremist rhetoric has been adopted by swaths of activists across America. CAIR's publications and manuals mimic the incendiary language of its leaders. National Executive Director Nihad Awad expressed happiness after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. CAIR-California CEO Hussam Ayloush stated that 'Israel should be attacked' and that 'Israel has no right to defend itself.' CAIR-California board officer Zahra Billoo praised Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh as a 'martyr' and described Oct. 7 as 'decolonization.' Immigration law requires providers to assess terrorism-related grounds of inadmissibility. Applicants for asylum, legal permanent residency, and many other forms of immigration relief must attest to their rejection of terrorism and their intent not to further it in the United States. How can CAIR-California be trusted to assess the national security risks of clients when it is promoting the very ideology it is tasked with weeding out? The federal government is effectively letting the fox guard the henhouse. Aside from these disturbing statements of support for terrorism, CAIR-California's handling of government money should disqualify it from Department of Justice recognition, at least until all funds are publicly accounted for. A recent investigation by the Intelligent Advocacy Network showed that CAIR-California was entrusted with more than $5 million in federal funds intended to be distributed through sub-grants. Public records offer no public accounting for how that money was spent. In one glaring example, CAIR appears to have sub-granted at least $3.6 million of that $5 million to itself. California's government transparency site, Open Fiscal, shows that CAIR-California has received more than $10 million in public funding, including $7 million routed from the federal Office of Refugee and Resettlement for immigration assistance and $2.7 million to 'fight hate.' CAIR-California's IRS Form 990 filings fail to disclose these government grants, an apparent violation of tax reporting rules. CAIR-California also entered into that $7 million public contract with the California Department of Social Services under the name 'CAIR of Greater Los Angeles,' which somehow operates under CAIR-California's tax identification number but does not appear to be a separate legal nonprofit. This is not a partisan issue. CAIR-California's refusal to open up its financial books and its support for extremism undermine the very immigrant communities the group claims to serve. Public funds should not be used to enrich a single organization or promote violent ideologies. Department of Justice recognition is meant to ensure that immigration providers deliver competent, ethical legal services and serve as responsible stewards of public funding. CAIR-California has failed to meet these baseline requirements. The continued flow of federal, state, and city funding to CAIR-California hinges on its accreditation from the Executive Office of Immigration Review. Thus, revocation of that accreditation is not merely symbolic. The Department of Justice should act to uphold the integrity of its own programs by immediately withdrawing CAIR-California's accreditation. The federal government, California, and the City and County of Los Angeles must end this partnership and work to restore public trust. Julie Marzouk is the Founder and Principal of Evolve Advocacy Consulting.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store