Latest news with #militarymight
Arab News
13-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Europe has the chance to take a quantum leap
By now, it is obvious that the EU must confront its lack of military might and economic competitiveness. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has declared that America is no longer 'primarily focused on Europe's security.' A 2024 report on European competitiveness by Mario Draghi, the former Italian prime minister, warned that the EU must foster innovation to maintain its industrial relevance. Clearly, reliance on past alliances and inherited advantages is no longer a viable option for Europe. Addressing these challenges will require the building of new alliances and development of new advantages, especially in quantum computing. While much has been said about the ability of artificial intelligence to shift the balance of global power, the quieter quantum revolution promises to generate equally meaningful breakthroughs in industry, cybersecurity and defense strategy. And whereas the EU lags far behind China and the US in AI and advanced semiconductors, it still has a chance to take the lead in quantum technologies. But the window of opportunity is closing fast. Quantum computing is not just a faster version of classical computing, it is an entirely new form of information processing. Instead of relying on binary code, quantum computers use qubits (quantum bits) that can exist in multiple states simultaneously, allowing them to solve complex problems concurrently, rather than sequentially. While these supercharged computers remain years away from maturity, owing to instability and high error rates, several other types of quantum technology are already in use. Quantum sensors are reshaping military operations and nuclear deterrence, for example, thanks to their remarkable precision. Communications backed by quantum cryptography are protecting against increasingly advanced and frequent cyberattacks against critical infrastructure and intellectual property. And quantum algorithms are driving gains in industrial logistics and military simulations. The development of quantum capabilities would enable Europe to bolster its defenses. Along NATO's eastern flank, and particularly in Ukraine, such advanced computing could power navigation systems that work even in GPS-denied environments, sensors that can detect stealth aircraft and submarines, and monitoring tools able to expose hidden enemy activities. Recognizing the potential of quantum technologies for improvements to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, has indicated its willingness to develop these technologies. Europe must not be caught flat-footed. From a competitiveness standpoint, quantum tech could revitalize Europe's ailing automotive sector, with advanced modeling helping to accelerate battery innovation. Quantum computing could also increase the continent's energy competitiveness by stabilizing its renewable-heavy power grids and boost its strong pharmaceutical sector by supercharging drug discovery and improving early detection of diseases. These developments would also drive progress toward climate goals, reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports and ease the burden on healthcare systems. Fortunately, Europe is entering the quantum race in a strong position. Its research institutions, including QuTech in the Netherlands and Forschungszentrum Julich in Germany, are globally competitive. The continent trains more quantum engineers than any other, hosts nearly a quarter of the world's quantum tech companies and is a global leader in quantum sensing and communications. The bloc's fragmented funding and governance landscape could prove lethal, offsetting its myriad technical strengths. Sona Muzikarova The EU has also built a political consensus around the strategic importance of quantum technologies. The Quantum Flagship, the European Commission's €1 billion ($1.2 billion) research and development initiative, has backed commercial ventures such as Pasqal and IQM, both of which build quantum hardware. The EU has also allocated billions of euros to programs such as the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure initiative and the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking. When it comes to scaling up the production of quantum hardware, Europe's precision manufacturing base, including German machines and Dutch lithography, might prove advantageous. But a familiar obstacle, the so-called valley of death between breakthroughs in the lab and success in the marketplace, might negate these advantages. Europe's quantum startups receive less private financing than their counterparts in the US, forcing many to relocate to North America or Asia in search of capital. Compared with America's private investment and defense-driven approach or China's state-backed strategy, the EU's fragmented funding and governance landscape could prove lethal, offsetting the bloc's myriad technical strengths. To convert the potential of quantum tech into a strategic advantage, several principles should be guiding EU policy. Firstly, when it comes to research and development, the bloc should focus on usage cases that will enable it to achieve quick wins in legacy sectors such as pharmaceuticals, the automotive industry and green energy. At the same time, a European version of DARPA should be established to fund high-risk, dual-use quantum technologies that have immediate defense and cybersecurity applications. Secondly, EU member states should establish protective safeguards, including export controls, investment screening mechanisms and the protection of intellectual property rights for sensitive quantum research that is vulnerable to espionage or foreign acquisition. This might require the EU to form partnerships with other trusted democracies. Deeper quantum alliances could also allow the bloc to have a greater effect on the setting of global standards, while reducing its dependence on supply chains in adversarial countries. Most importantly, there must be a realization that Europe's quantum ambitions demand more than just technical excellence; they will require political courage as well. For too long, Europe has watched from the sidelines as the US and China defined the rules of emerging tech. Quantum computing presents the continent with a rare chance to take the reins. But to seize this opportunity, European policymakers must embrace a culture of deliberate risk-taking. The outcome of the quantum tech race will ultimately come down to whether Europe still believes in its capacity to lead.
Daily Mail
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump promises to 'crush' ANY enemies as deadly LA riots spiral during Fort Bragg military demonstration
President Donald Trump hailed an 'awesome display of pure, unrivaled American military might' after troops at Fort Bragg put on a massive military display for him. 'We want to show off a little bit,' Trump told thousands of troops he addressed on a visit to the historic fort in North Carolina, defending the display. With thousands of the nation's warriors gathered to hear him, Trump issued a series of blunt warnings to protesters in Los Angeles, singling out those who had engaged in violence and 'anarchy.' He spoke of the 'attacks of a vicious and violent mob.' Trump called it an 'invasion and Third World lawlessness' – in words that carry potential weight because of the law he invoked to dispatch troops. He said he wouldn't allow a city to be invaded by a 'foreign enemy.' 'We will liberate Los Angeles and make it free, clean and safe again,' Trump vowed. Troops provided President Donald Trump with a powerful demonstration of military muscle – launching rockets that have been vital to the defense of Ukraine while the commander-in-chief looked on. 'I just saw something that was crazy – You don't want to mess …' Trump said after making a dramatic entry from Marine One. 'They just gave me a display that you might be lucky not to see, because it's a little scary. It was beautiful to watch,' he mused. The president was joined by top military officials on a trip to Fort Bragg to view some of the awesome machinery and personnel at the military's disposal at an installation that helped the the nation prevail in World War II. He saw powerful launches of HIMARS rockets, saw special operators deposited on a building, and got a flyover by an F-15 aircraft. The venue – a base where hundreds of thousands of troops from all corners of the country have been stationed over the decades – didn't keep Trump from taking shots at former President Joe Biden and what he called the 'fake news.' Using language that could have been ripped from a campaign Trump rally, Trump called 'open borders' the 'dumbest policy yet,' then said it was 'even dumber than men playing in women's sports, transgender for everyone.' Trump's administration is in court over ending the Biden administration's policy on transgender troops. He vowed that Fort Bragg would never go through a name change again – and rattled off a series of forts being named – including one for Robert E. Lee. Photo images captured Trump with troops viewing the awesome display of military might. Longtime Trump aide Dan Scavino posted dramatic footage of Trump viewing the rocket launches. When Marine One touched down for Trump's speech, 'Macho Man' by the Village People was playing to the crowd. The song is a staple at Trump rallies. Trump's remarks were laced with emotive language touting American power and warning any potential enemies. 'Our army has smashed foreign empires, humbled kings toppled tyrants and hunted terrorist savages through the very gates of hell,' Trump said from the 'one and only Fort Bragg.' He vowed to US enemies that the US military would 'chase you down, crush you and cast you into oblivion.' 'Remember it was only that little brief moment that it wasn't called Fort Bragg. It was by the Biden administration,' Trump said – ripping his predecessor over the name change under a law barring names honoring Confederates. It all came on a day when California Gov. Gavin Newsom accused Trump of 'turning the U.S. military against American citizens' with his decision to send forces into Los Angeles amid destructive street protests there. Trump flew to North Carolina to tour the base, which hosts more than 50,000, in anticipation of a parade in DC that will mark the 250th anniversary of the US Army. Trump on Monday denied that the massive $45 million parade was a tribute to his own birthday, which coincides with the event. He spoke about the event again Tuesday, vowing the protesters would be met by 'heavy force.' 'We're going to be celebrating big on Saturday,' he said. 'And if there's any protester that wants to come out, they will be met with very big force.' He continued: 'I haven't even heard about a protest, but you know, this is people that hate our country, but they will be met with very heavy force.' Trump got the military demonstration before addressing about 15,000 troops. He was set to visit a bunker and get to see a display of powerful artillery, along with special forces and paratroopers. For Bragg serves as the headquarters of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, and houses highly skilled Green Berets and the historic 82nd Airborne Division. Accompanying him is embattled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard, and has made a habit of working out with troops during visits. During remarks on Monday, Trump revisted his complaints about renaming historic facilities like Fort Bragg. 'We win World Wars from Fort, Robert E. Lee, from Fort, Bragg – from all the different forts. And what do we do? We change the name of the forts because we want to be politically correct,' Trump complained. The base was renamed Fort Liberty in accordance with a 2020 federal law barring naming facilities after people who fought on behalf of the South against the United States during the Civil War. (The law was enacted over Trump's veto during his first term). Now, his administration found a workaround by renaming it in February after Private First Class Roland Bragg, rather than the slaveowning Confederate Braxton Bragg it was previously named after. Bragg was also a 'famously poor general' who helped lead an armed insurrection against the U.S. As it turns out, Trump visted the nation's largest military installation on a day he warned he might use the Insurrection Act to put down street protests in Los Angeles he has described as a rebellion. The Army is already lining up some of its hardware at the Pentagon Trump's decision to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops, along with 700 Marines, to Los Angeles to restore order there. California on Monday sued, saying the deployment is unlawful without the consent of Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat. It also comes days before Trump hosts a military parade in DC honoring the 250th anniversary of the Army. Trump has denied that it has to do with his 79th birthday, which falls on the same day. Tanks could be seen rolling into Washington in preparation for the event. Trump on Monday revisited complaints about the U.S. not getting enough credit for the allied victory in World War II. He recalled watching other countries including France and Russia mark the end of World War II on Victory in Europe Day, bringing up the millions of casualties sustained by Russia and once again claimed 'Hitler made a speech at the Eiffel Tower' – although there is no record of one. Dozens of tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, along with Strykers and other armored vehicles will all be part of the show of strength in the Nation's capital. 'It's going to be a parade, the likes of which, I don't know if we've ever had a parade like that. It's going to be incredible,' Trump said Monday.
The Guardian
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
How social media lies fuelled a rush to war between India and Pakistan
As missiles and drones crisscrossed the night skies above India and Pakistan earlier this month, another invisible war was taking place. Not long after the Indian government announced Operation Sindoor, the military offensive against Pakistan triggered by a militant attack in Kashmir that Delhi blamed on Islamabad, reports of major Pakistani defeats began to circulate online. What began as disparate claims on social media platforms such as X soon became a cacophony of declarations of India's military might, broadcast as 'breaking news' and 'exclusives' on the country's biggest news programmes. According to these posts and reports, India had variously shot down multiple Pakistani jets, captured a Pakistani pilot as well as Karachi port and taken over the Pakistani city of Lahore. Another false claim was that Pakistan's powerful military chief had been arrested and a coup had taken place. 'We'll be having breakfast in Rawalpindi tomorrow,' was a widely reshared post in the midst of hostilities, referring to the Pakistani city where its military is headquartered. Many of these claims were accompanied by footage of explosions, crumbling structures and missiles being shot from the sky. The problem was, none of them were true. A ceasefire on 10 May brought the two countries back from the brink of all-out war after the latest conflict, which marked the biggest crisis in decades between the nuclear-armed rivals, and was ignited after militants opened fire at a beauty spot in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing 26 people, mainly Indian tourists. India blamed Pakistan for the attack – a charge that Islamabad has denied. Yet even as military hostilities have ceased, analysts, factcheckers and activists have documented how a fully-fledged war of disinformation took place online. Misinformation and disinformation was also being circulated widely in Pakistan. The Pakistan government removed a ban on X just before the conflict broke out, and researchers found it immediately became a source of misinformation, though not on the same scale as in India. Recycled and AI-generated footage purportedly showing Pakistani military victories was widely shared on social media and then amplified by both its mainstream media, respected journalists and government ministers to make fake claims such as the capture of an Indian pilot, a coup in the Indian army and Pakistani strikes wiping out India's defences. There were also widely circulated fake reports that a Pakistani cyber-attack had wiped out most of the Indian power grid and that Indian soldiers had raised a white flag to surrender. In particular, video game simulations proved to be a popular tool in spreading disinformation about Pakistan 'delivering justice' against India. A report into the social media war that surrounded the India-Pakistan conflict, released last week by civil society organisation The London Story, how X and Facebook owner Meta 'became fertile ground for the spread of war narratives, hate speech, and emotionally manipulative disinformation' and 'became drivers of nationalist incitement' in both countries. In a written statement, a Meta spokesperson said, it took 'significant steps to fight the spread of misinformation', including removing content and labelling and reducing the reach of stories marked as false by their factcheckers. While disinformation and misinformation were rampant on both sides, in India 'the scale went beyond what we have seen before,' said Joyojeet Pal, associate professor at the school of information, University of Michigan. Pal is among those arguing that the misinformation campaign went beyond the usual nationalist propaganda often seen in both India and Pakistan: 'This had the power to push two nuclear armed countries closer to war.' Analysts say that it is evidence of a new digital frontier in warfare, where an onslaught of tactical misinformation is used to manipulate the narrative and escalate tensions. Factcheckers say misinformation including the repurposing of old footage and widespread fake claims of military victories mirrored much of what had come out of Russia in the early days of the Russia-Ukraine war. The Washington DC-based Centre for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), which tracked and documented the misinformation coming from both sides, warned that the weaponisation of misinformation and disinformation in the the most recent India-Pakistan conflict was 'not an isolated phenomenon, but part of a broader global trend in hybrid warfare'. Raqib Hameed Naik, the executive director of CSOH, said there had been 'a pretty catastrophic failure' on the part of social media platforms to moderate and control the scale of disinformation that was being generated from both India and Pakistan. Of the 427 most concerning posts CSOH examined on X, some of which had almost 10 million views, only 73 had been flagged with a warning. X did not respond to request for comment. Fabricated reports from India largely first emerged on social media platforms X and Facebook, Naik said, often shared or reposted by verified right-wing accounts. Many accounts were open supporters of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) government, led by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, which has a long history of using social media to push its agenda. BJP politicians also reposted some of this material. Among the examples circulating were a 2023 video of an Israeli airstrike on Gaza that was falsely claimed as an Indian strike on Pakistan, as well as an image of an Indian naval drill from the same year presented as evidence that the Indian navy had attacked and taken over Karachi port. Video game imagery was passed off as real-life footage of India's air force downing one of Pakistan's JF-17 fighter jets, while footage from the Russian-Ukraine war was claimed to be scenes of 'massive airstrikes on Pakistan'. Doctored AI visuals were widely circulated to show Pakistan's defeat and visuals of a Turkish pilot was used in fabricated reports of a captured Pakistani pilot. Doctored images were used to fabricate reports of the murder of Pakistan's popular former prime minister Imran Khan. Many of these posts first generated by Indian social media accounts gained millions of views and the misinformation spread to some of India's most widely watched TV news. India's mainstream media, which has already suffered a major loss of credibility owing to its heavy pro-government stance under Modi, is now facing difficult questions. Some prominent anchors have already issued apologies. Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), an Indian human rights organisation, has filed formal complaints to the broadcasting watchdog for 'serious ethical breaches' of six of the country's most prominent television news channels in their reporting of Operation Sindoor. Teesta Setalvad, secretary of CJP, said channels had completely abandoned their responsibilities as neutral news broadcasters. 'Instead, they became propaganda collaborators,' she said. Kanchan Gupta, a senior adviser to the Indian ministry of information and broadcasting, denied any government role in the misinformation campaign. He said the government had been 'very alert' to the issue of misinformation and has issued explicit advice to mainstream media reporting on the conflict. 'We set up a monitoring centre which operated 24-7 and scrutinised every bit of disinformation that could have a cascading impact, and a fact check was put out immediately. Social media platforms also cooperated with us to take down vast numbers of accounts spreading this disinformation. Whatever was in the ambit of the law to stop this was done.' Gupta said that 'strong' notices had since been issued to several news channels for a violation of broadcasting rules. Nonetheless, he emphasised that the 'fog of war is universally accepted as a reality. It is a fact that in any conflict situation, whether overt or covert conflict, the nature of reportage tends to go high-pitch'.
The Sun
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
North Korea ‘arrests three over humiliating warship disaster' after Kim Jong-un's vow to punish those behind mishap
NORTH Korea has arrested three shipyard bosses after a humiliating warship launch flop that Kim Jong-un called a 'criminal act'. The 5,000-tonne destroyer – hailed as a symbol of military might – ended up crushed and listing in the harbour during a high-profile launch in the port city of Chongjin last Wednesday. State media on Sunday said three officials – chief engineer Kang Jong Chol, hull workshop head Han Kyong Hak, and deputy manager Kim Yong Hak – were detained over the 'serious accident'. Kim Jong-un, who watched the botched launch unfold in person, reportedly fumed that the fiasco had 'damaged the country's dignity'. The Pyongyang tyrant has since ordered the ship to be restored by next month's ruling party meeting, with repairs already under way. KCNA said the incident was 'a criminal act caused by absolute carelessness' and insisted those involved 'can never evade their responsibility for the crime'. Satellite images showed the vessel lying on its side, covered in blue tarps. The stern appeared to have slipped into the water while the bow remained on the shipway – a spectacle experts say amplified the embarrassment for the regime. 'No matter how good the state of the warship is, the fact that the accident is an unpardonable criminal act remains unchanged,' KCNA added. South Korea's military, citing joint analysis with US intelligence, said Pyongyang's side-launch attempt of the ship had failed and left it crippled. .
The Sun
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Putin hosts massive Victory Day parade with thousands of troops as threat of Ukrainian strike looms despite ceasefire
TODAY Putin hosts world leaders for a massive victory parade in Moscow to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazis. Guests of honour include China's President Xi Jinping at what Russia has promised will be the "biggest ever" show of pomp and military might. 5 5 5 The main event will be a decadent military parade in Red Square, right next to the Kremlin, which is designed to rally patriotism and support for the war. The event - celebrating the defeat of Nazism in WW2 - is a key part of Russia's national identity. The arrival of so many heads of state, including Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is a major PR coup for Moscow, and a chance to show the West that its efforts to isolate Russia have failed. A three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine began on Wednesday. But Ukraine has dismissed the truce as a farce and slammed today's events a "parade of cynicism". It also warned that it cannot guarantee the safety of world leaders attending. As the parade kicked off this morning, a string of foreign leaders were seen arriving at the Kremlin. President Vladimir Putin was seen greeting Xi and some of the other two dozen foreign leaders. Taking the mic, Putin said: "We remember the second world war. Our duty is to defend the dignity of the soldiers of the Russian army." He also vowed to continue fighting "Russophobia". is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun. 5 5
