Latest news with #U.S.DepartmentofDefense
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Hegseth Pledges U.S. Military Support for Taiwan Amid ‘Imminent' China Threat
While speaking at a conference in Singapore, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth swore that the U.S. would defend Taiwan should China attempt to 'conquer' the island. Appearing at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a security conference where world leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron and Ministers for Defense from Japan, Australia and several other countries were also in attendance, Hegseth issued his most assertive statement on Taiwan to date, warning that threats from China could be 'imminent.' Hegseth told conference attendees, 'To be clear: Any attempt by Communist China to conquer Taiwan by force would result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world. We are not going to sugarcoat it. The threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent.' He added that, 'Communist China will not invade Taiwan on [President Trump's] watch‚' and asserted that the U.S.' goal is to 'prevent war, to make the cost too high, and make peace the only option,' although he did not provide specifics as to how this would be achieved. He also told conference attendees that together, their countries could demonstrate 'what it means to execute peace through strength,' but if that failed, the U.S. Department of Defense was prepared to do 'what it does best' and 'fight and win, decisively.' Hegseth also called upon U.S. allies in the region to 'upgrade their own defenses, telling those gathered, 'It has to be clear to all that Beijing is credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.' China claims Taiwan as its territory and has declined to rule out using force to reclaim the island. Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, asserts its independence from China, which has offered the country a 'one country, two systems' model similar to that of Hong Kong, a move not supported by any major political party in Taiwan. While the U.S. severed official ties with Taiwan in 1979 and has no official position on Taiwanese sovereignty, it is bound by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 to provide the country with the means to defend itself. In February, the U.S. State Department removed a statement from its website asserting that the U.S. does not support Taiwan independence. In its place, a line was added that stated the U.S. would seek to support Taiwan's membership in international organizations 'where applicable.' Only 12 countries, such as Belize and Tuvalu, currently maintain formal ties with Taiwan, although many more maintain informal ties. Taiwan was expelled from the United Nations in 1971, and organizations to which China belongs have historically declined to grant Taiwan membership.
American Military News
3 days ago
- American Military News
How Military Members Can Safely Access Online Casinos While Stationed Overseas
When American soldiers are away from home, their free time is valuable. Between challenging responsibilities and changeable timetables, finding time to relax and enjoy entertainment they're used to matters a lot. Many service members now choose online casinos for enjoyment, as they are convenient, offer plenty of excitement, and offer the chance to win money. Even so, people working abroad wonder how they can use social media safely and face the various obstacles involved. For anyone in the military who's new to gambling, free spins no deposit are incredibly appealing. You can try out different casinos and games without investing your money at first. If you find yourself in a military position in Europe, Asia, or the Middle East, learn how to gamble online securely. Before wagering, you must know the gambling laws in your country and the country where you play. Although some U.S. states permit online gambling, federal law could still apply if the gambling site or payment method is regulated by federal law. When serving abroad, military members must consider how local laws differ from their own. In several cases, the U.S. and the host nation share command and regulation of military bases. As a result, gambling over the internet can sometimes be confusing. In this case, you may be in America, yet your internet activity can be subject to overseas regulations or spied on by other countries. Many countries enforce laws that would consider accessing gambling websites to be illegal for everyone, regardless of their citizenship. To ensure your safety, follow both the guidelines from the U.S. Department of Defense and your local regulations when gambling online. There may be policies at the DoD regarding money management or using the internet on the base that can affect your play. In some places, internet access at the base might be secure. Connecting to public Wi-Fi or a shared hotspot can make your information and finances vulnerable to hacking. To make your online gambling safe, play only on a secure and private connection. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is one of your most essential tools. Using a VPN, your internet data is encrypted, your IP address is changed, and you can access content in other countries, such as the U.S., using their servers. This is very useful when the online casino you like is accessible only in a few places. You must confirm that using a VPN is allowed on the casino website. Some platforms can block or prohibit the use of their site if your connection is through a VPN. Selecting a casino that enables gamers from abroad without VPNs is easier, but it is still best to use caution and stick to the rules. There are significant differences between online casinos in the United States, and the same is true for those used from outside the country. Always use websites managed and regulated by trusted gaming authorities like the Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission, or Curacao eGaming. Most of these operators work with international companies by meeting strong security, fairness, and transparency requirements. It helps to play at casinos where customers can get help 24/7 and where payment options are convenient for people from the United States traveling outside their country. Try to pick sites designed for global users that allow you to pay using credit cards, cryptocurrency wallets, and e-wallet platforms such as PayPal or Skrill. This means your money is easily accessible whenever you move to a new station. Recently, bonuses have been adjusted based on where you work. For this reason, free spins no-deposit sites can be very helpful. You can test the games and the user interface for free, which is useful when reviewing a site from a distance. Many adjustment issues and limited time for hobbies can lead an overseas stationed person to use gambling as an escape. For this reason, we must be disciplined and pay close attention. Use platforms that offer ways to restrict your wagers, break from gaming, or prohibit yourself altogether. You should always protect your financial information. Use well-known payment gateways and never save your banking information on any public or shared device. It is best to have them as separate accounts, and always watch for anything suspicious in your gaming history. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is also available at many online casinos. Turn on this feature as soon as you see it in the settings, as it will safeguard your account from unauthorized access. Service members stationed overseas can enjoy playing at online casinos in their downtime. However, whenever we entertain, we must take responsibility and be careful. You should prepare and be careful when it comes to your money and data in safe online gambling. Selecting the right services, using VPNs, and being careful when playing games can help a lot. By claiming their free spins no deposit, you can have fun playing without any of your own money. So, keep yourself safe, be careful, and enjoy your travels.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Legal clash over military trespassing at New Mexico border heats up
May 29—An Uzbekistan national is at the center of an expanding legal battle over whether migrants illegally entering from Mexico can also be convicted of trespassing on New Mexico's new military border zone. On Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Mexico focused on the case of Dishoda Rozlkova in appealing the dismissal of the misdemeanor military trespass charges filed against her and hundreds of other defendants earlier this month. The issue now goes to a U.S. district judge for consideration. The U.S. Border Patrol encountered Rozlkova in Doña Ana County on May 4, about 7 miles east of the Santa Teresa Port of Entry, court records show. Court records reveal little else about her except that she speaks Uzbek. That meant she couldn't proceed in English or Spanish when she appeared in court May 8 in Las Cruces on charges of illegal entry, violating security regulations and entering military property. While maintaining the illegal entry charge, Gregory Wormuth, the state's chief U.S. magistrate judge, ruled May 19 that the government lacked probable cause to charge Rozlkova with knowing she was entering the restricted 60-foot-wide strip adjacent to the international border while she unlawfully entered the U.S. The area, which stretches an estimated 180 miles, became military property in mid-April after President Donald Trump directed the U.S. Department of Defense to incorporate it, as the New Mexico National Defense Area, into the U.S. Army Fort Huachuca installation based in Arizona. The White House wanted the military to take a more direct role in securing the border, the appeal states. But the action effectively increased the potential punishment for those charged with the misdemeanor of illegal entry into the U.S. The added offenses carry up to 18 months in prison combined. Often times, misdemeanor illegal entry results in brief jail time awaiting resolution of the case, followed by deportation. Rozlkova "argues that she did not violate these laws because she was not aware of the (national defense zone's) reassignment to the Department of Defense or the area's resulting status. That claim should have been rejected," states the appeal. "Virtually all aliens who enter the District of New Mexico from Mexico through an area that is not a designated port of entry — and thereby enter the ... restricted military area without authorization — are not 'engaged in apparently innocent conduct' but are instead aware of the unlawfulness of that conduct," the appeal states. Government prosecutors say Wormuth erred in requiring an "additional element of knowledge that the defendant has entered the NMNDA (defense zone)." Federal signs warning of the restricted military area reportedly have been posted in Spanish and English about every 100 yards in the zone, but some defense attorneys have contended their clients never saw the signs, couldn't read them, or spoke a different dialect or language and weren't aware they were trespassing. Rozlkova's attorney couldn't be reached for comment Thursday, but Rozlkova is believed to be in federal custody awaiting a translator. U.S. Attorney for New Mexico Ryan Ellison is asking the district court to overrule Wormuth's order and reinstate the dismissed charges. To date, nearly 700 people have been charged with the military trespass-related misdemeanor charges, along with illegal entry.
UPI
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
On This Day, May 28: Rebels storm palace ending Ethiopian civil war
1 of 8 | A local resident walks past a battle tank stranded outside the Ethiopian Presidential Palace in Addis Ababa on June 9, 1991, following a battle between rebel forces and the government. On May 28, 1991, Ethiopian rebels seized the presidential palace and tightened their control of the capital of Addis Ababa, effectively ending a 16-year civil war. File Photo by Master Sgt. Ed Boyce/U.S. Department of Defense On this date in history: In 1892, the Sierra Club was founded by naturalist John Muir. In 1934, the Dionne sisters, Emilie, Yvonne, Cecile, Marie and Annette, first documented set of quintuplets to survive, were born near Callander, Ontario, and soon became world-famous. Emilie died in 1954, Marie in 1970 and Yvonne in 2001. File Photo courtesy of Library and Archives Canada In 1961, lawyer Peter Berenson published an article in The Observer about political and religious prisoners, forming the basis for what would become Amnesty International two months later in London. The organization won the Nobel Peace Prize for its work supporting people imprisoned because of their race, religion or political views. In 1977, a flash fire swept through a nightclub in Southgate, Ky., -- called the Beverly Hills Supper Club -- killing 162 people and injuring 30. In 1987, West German Mathias Rust, 19, flew a single-engine plane from Finland through Soviet radar and landed beside the Kremlin in Moscow. Three days later, the Soviet defense minister and his deputy were fired. In 1991, Ethiopian rebels seized the presidential palace and tightened their control of the capital of Addis Ababa, effectively ending a 16-year civil war and wresting power from a crumbling Marxist government that ruled the country with an iron hand for 17 years. In 1998, actor and comedian Phil Hartman, known for his roles on Saturday Night Live and News Radio, was killed by his wife, Brynn Hartman. The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office determined Brynn Hartman had cocaine, alcohol and an anti-depressant drug in her system at the time of the murder-suicide. In 1998, Pakistan conducted an underground nuclear test despite condemnation from many countries and the imposition of U.S. economic sanctions. In 2000, Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori easily won a runoff election but nationwide demonstrations against him continued. He resigned in September. File Photo by Ricardo Watson/UPI In 2002, NASA said the Mars Odyssey found evidence of ice on Mars. "We were hopeful that we could find evidence of ice, but what we have found is much more ice than we ever expected," a scientist said. In 2008, Nepal's newly elected Constituent Assembly voted to dissolve the 239-year-old monarchy and form a republic, officially ending the reign of King Gyanendra. In 2014, author-poet-activist Maya Angelou (I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings) died in Winston-Salem, N.C. U.S. President Barack Obama called Angelou, who was 86, "one of the brightest lights of our time." In 2023, doctors at NYU Langone Health completed the first whole eyeball transplant in a man who sustained devastating injuries to his face in an electrical shock. The lineman, Aaron James, also received a partial face transplant. In 2024, the Vatican issued an apology on behalf of Pope Francis after he used a homophobic slur during a meeting with the Italian Bishops Conference about admitting gay men into the seminary. File Photo by Stefano Spaziani/UPI
CNBC
5 days ago
- Automotive
- CNBC
The West is recycling rare earths to escape China's grip — but it's not enough
BEIJING — As China tightens its grip on the global supply of key minerals, the West is working to reduce its dependence on Chinese rare earth. This includes finding alternative sources of rare earth minerals, developing technologies to reduce reliance, and recovering existing stockpiles through recycling products that are reaching the end of their shelf life. "You cannot build a modern car without rare earths," said consulting firm AlixPartners, noting how Chinese companies have come to dominate the supply chain for the minerals. In September 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense invested $4.2 million in Rare Earth Salts, a startup that aims to extract the oxides from domestic recycled products such as fluorescent light bulbs. Japan's Toyota has also been investing in technologies to reduce the use of rare earth elements. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, China controlled 69% of rare earth mine production in 2024, and nearly half of the world's reserves. Analysts from AlixPartners estimate that a typical single-motor battery electric vehicle includes around 550 grams (1.21 pounds) of components containing rare earths, unlike gasoline-powered cars, which only use 140 grams of rare earths, or about 5 ounces. More than half of the new passenger cars sold in China are battery-only and hybrid-powered cars, unlike the U.S., where they are still mostly gasoline-powered. "With slowing EV uptake (in the U.S.) and mandates to convert from ICE to EV formats receding into the future, the imperative for replacing Chinese-sourced materials in EVs is declining," said Christopher Ecclestone, principal and mining strategist at Hallgarten & Company. "Pretty soon, the first generation of EVs will be up for recycling themselves, creating a pool of ex-China material that will be under the control of the West," he said. Only 7.5% of new U.S. vehicle sales in the first quarter were electric, a modest increase from a year ago, according to Cox Automotive. It pointed out that around two-thirds of EVs sold in the U.S. last year were assembled locally, but manufacturers still rely on imports for the parts. "The current, full-blown trade war with China, the world's leading supplier of EV battery materials, will distort the market even more." Of the 1.7 kilograms (3.74 pounds) of components containing rare earths found in a typical single-motor battery electric car, 550 grams (1.2 pounds) are rare earths. About the same amount, 510 grams, is used in hybrid-powered vehicles using lithium-ion batteries. In early April, China announced export controls on seven rare earths. Those restrictions included terbium, 9 grams of which is typically used in a single-motor EV, AlixPartners data showed. None of the six other targeted rare earths are significantly used in cars, according to the data. But April's list is not the only one. A separate Chinese list of metal controls that took effect in December restricts exports of cerium, 50 grams of which AlixPartners said is used on average in a single-motor EV. The controls mean that Chinese companies handling the minerals must get government approval to sell them overseas. Caixin, a Chinese business news outlet, reported on May 15, just days after a U.S.-China trade truce, that three leading Chinese rare earth magnet companies have received export licenses from the commerce ministry to ship to North America and Europe. What's concerning for international business is that there are barely any alternatives to China for obtaining the rare earths. Mines can take years to get operating approval, while processing plants also take time and expertise to establish. "Today, China controls over 90% of the global refined supply for the four magnet rare earth elements (Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb), which are used to make permanent magnets for EV motors," the International Energy Agency said in a statement. That refers to neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium. For the less commonly used nickel metal hydride batteries in hybrid cars, the amount of rare earths goes up to 4.45 kilograms, or nearly 10 pounds, according to AlixPartners. That's largely because that kind of battery uses 3.5 kilograms of lanthanum. "I estimate that around 70% of the over 200 kilograms of minerals in an EV goes through China, but it varies by vehicle and manufacturer. It's hard to put a definitive figure on it," said Henry Sanderson, associate fellow at The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security. However, there are limits to recycling, which remains challenging, energy-intensive and time-consuming. And even if adoption of EVs in the U.S. slows, the minerals are used in far larger quantities in defense. For example, the F-35 fighter jet contains over 900 pounds of rare earths, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, based in Washington, D.C. China's rare earths restrictions also go beyond the closely watched list released on April 4. In the last two years, China has increased its control over a broader category of metals known as critical minerals. In the summer of 2023, China said it would restrict exports of gallium and germanium, both used in chipmaking. About a year later, it announced restrictions on antimony, used to strengthen other metals and a significant component in bullets, nuclear weapons production and lead-acid batteries. The State Council, the country's top executive body, in October released an entire policy for strengthening controls of exports, including minerals, that might have dual-use properties, or be used for military and civilian purposes. One restriction that caught many in the industry by surprise was on tungsten, a U.S.-designated critical mineral but not a rare earth. The extremely hard metal is used in weapons, cutting tools, semiconductors and car batteries. China produced about 80% of the global tungsten supply in 2024, and the U.S. imports 27% of tungsten from China, data from the U.S. Geological Survey showed. About 2 kilograms of tungsten is typically used in each electric car battery, said Michael Dornhofer, founder of metals consulting firm Independent Supply Business Partner. He pointed out that this tungsten is not able to return to the recycling chain for at least seven years, and its low levels of use might not even make it reusable. "50% of the world's tungsten is consumed by China, so they have business as usual," Lewis Black, CEO of tungsten mining company Almonty, said in an interview last month. "It's the other 40% that's produced (in China) that comes into the West that doesn't exist." He said when the company's forthcoming tungsten mine in South Korea reopens this year, it would mean there would be enough non-China supply of the metal to satisfy U.S., Europe and South Korean needs for defense. But for autos, medical and aerospace, "we just don't have enough."
