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Deadly Barcelona attack is worst in a day of violence in Spain – Trending Stuff

December 7, 2019

(CNN)Spain saw one of its most violent times in recent memory for a spate of incidents around the country seemed to be connected to a terror attack Thursday in Barcelona that left 13 people dead and more than 100 injured.

Also Thursday, two police officers in Barcelona were hurt when they were hit by a car, but police were unsure if that was related to the other incidents.

The deadly events started in the morning with a van plowing through crowds on the renowned Las Ramblas avenue, a popular tourist section of Barcelona. Authorities said of the 80 people taken to hospitals, 15 were hurt.

As police searched for the van driver, Spain’s Prime Minister called it an act of “jihadi terrorism.”

Here are the newest developments in a tragic day:

Two suspects — one from Morocco, one by the Spanish enclave of Melilla — were arrested in connection with the Barcelona assault, Catalan Police Chief Josep Lluis Trapero said.

One suspect in the Barcelona assault is on the run. “The driver abandoned the van and escaped from the area,” Trapero stated.

About 115 kilometers to the southwest, there was a second attack early Friday. Catalan police tweeted that five suspected terrorists were killed in Cambrils. Emergency officials said a police officer and six civilians were injured.

One person was killed in an explosion in a home in Alcanar, around 200 kilometers (120 miles) southwest of Barcelona.

Catalan authorities said early Friday they’re “working under the hypothesis that the terrorists taken down in Cambrils were related to the events that took place in Barcelona and Alcanar.”

A motorist ran over two police officers at a security checkpoint at Barcelona, authorities said, and the driver was located close to the city. Both officers did not require hospital treatment and suffered minor injuries, authorities said. It was uncertain whether that incident was related to the terror attack.

ISIS’ media wing, Amaq, said the perpetrators of the Barcelona attack were “soldiers of the Islamic State.” However, ISIS has not explicitly claimed responsibility.

The Barcelona attack was one of the most deadly in Spain since more than 190 people were killed in a March 2004 attack against commuter trains.

Another witness who was hiding in a shop nearby heard gunshots, according to state-run broadcaster TVE24. A third said he saw a van driving “around 80” kph, or 50 mph. He said “there is no doubt it was intentional,” according to TVE24.

Ali Shirazinia, who was cycling alongside Las Ramblas at the time, told CNN he heard “a lot of screams” and saw the crowds split along the busy promenade.

READ: Barcelona attack witness saw people ‘flying into the air’

Then he heard what sounded like the driver flooring the accelerator and saw a white van with blue markings come hurtling down the street. “It literally came right down the Ramblas and ran to people on every side,” he said.

“The Ramblas is full of pedestrians, street merchants, street performers, and I saw people flying into the air and everyone was running to the shops on both sides of the Ramblas, a great deal of people were shocked.”

Tourist Susan McClean told CNN she saw a “tidal wave” of people running away from Las Ramblas after the incident.

She ducked into a nearby shop and the shutters were pulled down while police sped toward the scene.

“There was clearly a great deal of distress,” she said.

McClean said she returned to her hotel one street away after leaving the shop.

Two arrests, one deadly explosion

Two suspects who were arrested were taken into custody hundreds of kilometers apart.

One suspect was arrested in Alcanar, around 200 kilometers (120 miles) southwest of Barcelona.

Also in Alcanar, one person was killed in an explosion at a house, Trapero said, adding that incident was connected to the Barcelona attack. But Trapero didn’t say whether the arrest and explosion were tied to each other.

He did say the victim is Spanish and was not on police radar.

The other Barcelona suspect was arrested in Ripoll, about 110 kilometers (68 miles) north of Barcelona and 300 kilometers (186 miles) from Alcanar.

Government officials respond

The Catalan regional government said it was holding an emergency meeting to discuss the incident.

To facilitate police operations, the Catalan emergency services urged people via Twitter to avoid going out or undertaking any other type of movement that was not “strictly required.”

The Spanish royal family tweeted: “They are assassins, simply criminals who are not going to terrorize us. All of Spain is Barcelona. Las Ramblas will return to be everyone’s.”

The Union of Islamic Communities of Catalonia expressed “condemnation and repulse” for the Barcelona attack.

“Faced with this criminal fact, the marriage of Islamic communities in Catalonia reiterates its full commitment to the fight against any kind of terrorism, and it is expected that those responsible for these attacks may be detained and brought before the courts as early as possible,” its statement said.

Barcelona officials ordered all public events to be canceled, and metro and train stations in the area were closed.

NATO chief: We stand united

World leaders were quick to voice their condemnation of the attack and offer support to Barcelona via Twitter.

“My thoughts are with all those affected. We stand united in the fight against terrorism,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

US President Donald Trump said: “The United States condemns the terror attack in Barcelona, Spain, and will do whatever is necessary to help. Be tough & strong, we adore you!”

READ: Trump responds to Barcelona terror attack by spreading debunked rumor

London Mayor Sadiq Khan also gave his support, saying: “London stands with Barcelona against the evil of terrorism.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the attack in Barcelona “revolting,” her spokesman tweeted. “We are mourning the victims of this disgusting assault in Barcelona — in solidarity and friendship side by side with the Spanish.”

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker branded the Barcelona attack “cowardly,” adding: “We shall never be cowed by such barbarism.”

Las Ramblas is a predominantly pedestrianized street popular among tourists in Barcelona. Extending for about three-quarters of a mile through the center of the city, the tree-lined street is especially crowded in the summer, the height of tourist season.

The promenade passes by kiosks, flower sellers, pavement cafes and bars. It includes a number of the city’s most popular sites.

READ: US VP Pence: Images of Barcelona attack ‘sicken us all’

Trump Abandons Plan for Council on Infrastructure – Trending Stuff

December 7, 2019

President Donald Trump won’t proceed with a planned Advisory Council on Infrastructure, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday.

The infrastructure council, which was being formed, would have informed Trump on his plan to invest up to $1 trillion upgrading roads, bridges and other public works. Its cancellation follows Trump&#x2019 announcement Wednesday that he had been disbanding two business panels.

Corporate chief executive officers this week had begun to stop both the American Manufacturing Council and the Strategic and Policy Forum in protest over Trump’s opinions that appeared to confer legitimacy on white supremacists after a violent rally Aug. 12 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Trump had tapped New York developers Richard LeFrak and Steven Roth, whom he described as friends, to direct the infrastructure panel, which he created by an executive order on July 19. But he had not announced any formal appointments to it. Through a spokeswoman, LeFrak declined to comment. Roth didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The council, which was supposed to have no more than 15 members representing property, finance, labour and other sectors, was developed to study and make recommendations to the president concerning delivery, support and the funding of infrastructure projects.

Trump reignited controversy to the violence in Charlottesville during a press conference on Tuesday that was supposed to be about his infrastructure plans.

He signed an executive order this week that’s meant to accelerate the review and permitting process for major building projects. While announcing that arrangement at Trump Tower in New York, the president took questions from reporters and repeated his stance that the white-supremacist groups were to blame.

Amid outcry over his opinions, Trump announced on Twitter that he disbanded both CEO councils.

Trump’s Timetable

The effects of scuttling the infrastructure panel wasn’t clear. Gary Cohn, Trump’s top economic adviser, told reporters Tuesday that the administration hopes to obtain an infrastructure bill approved. An unwritten tax bill goes first, Cohn said, with the aim of passing it by Thanksgiving. An infrastructure bill could start in the House as soon as a tax measure moves from the House to the Senate, he said.

Trump had lauded with the input of private-sector builders in delivering his infrastructure plan. He called out LeFrak of the LeFrak Organization and Roth, chairman of Vornado Realty Trust, during a June 7 speech in Cincinnati as part of the White House’s “infrastructure week” to praise their participation.

“Make sure #x 2019 & it;s going to come in under budget, on time, maybe even ahead of schedule,” Trump said during the speech.

The administration has said it plans to get details on its infrastructure plan this fall but has signaled the approach is to allocate $200 billion in federal dollars on rural and “transformational” projects within 10 years and on incentives for states, localities, and the private sector to spend $800 billion.

Navy continues search for sailors, wants answers after collision – Trending Stuff

December 6, 2019

(CNN)As search teams continued Tuesday to look for 10 American sailors missing after a Navy warship collided with a commercial tanker east of Singapore — the latest in a series of similar incidents in the Pacific — the US defense brass wants answers.

Following the collision Monday between the USS John S. McCain, a guided-missile destroyer, and the merchant vessel, Defense Secretary James Mattis said he supports the decision by Adm. John Richardson, chief of naval operations, to conduct a “comprehensive review” of recent US Navy collisions.

The aim will be “to determine any of the causal factors, to determine what’s going on — both immediate contributors to this incident but also any related factors.”

The US 7th Fleet said search efforts are being focused on an area east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.

Monday’s crash marked the fourth time this year a US warship has been involved in an accident in Asian waters.

Richardson said in a Facebook statement that he has asked Adm. Phil Davidson, commander of US Fleet Forces Command, to take charge of the investigation, which will include a review of “the process by which we train and certify our forces that are forward-deployed in Japan to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to make them ready for operations and war fighting.”

The probe will also examine operational tempo and “trends in personnel, materiel, maintenance and equipment,” he said. “It will also include a review of how we train and certify our surface warfare community, including tactical and navigational proficiency.”

Richardson said there is no indication at this time that the incident was caused by cyberintrusion or sabotage, but the review will consider all possibilities.

“We are looking at every possibility so we are not leaving anything to chance there,” he said.

‘Forceful action’

Richardson is ordering a one-day pause in operations, allowing fleet leaders and commanders to take measures to “ensure safe and effective operations around the world,” he said.

“This is the second collision in three months and is the last in a series of incidents in the Pacific theater. This trend demands more forceful action,” Richardson said.

The pause is a one-day safety stand-down that will be done on a rotational basis over the course of a couple of weeks, at the discretion of individual commands, a source told CNN.

“The emphasis of that is really to take a look at the fundamentals, at the unit and team level, to make sure that we are not overlooking anything … the basic seamanship, airmanship, those sorts of things: teamwork, how we do business on the bridge, the fundamentals,” Richardson told reporters on Monday.

“We want to do this pretty briskly. My direction will be about a week we should execute all of this, and then we’ll roll those up and capture any lessons learned and roll those back out,” he said.

The 7th Fleet said the McCain collided with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while the destroyer was making its way to a port in Singapore. The collision was reported at 5:24 a.m. local time, east of the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s most congested shipping routes.

The Navy reported significant hull damage to the McCain, saying there was flooding in berthing compartments as well as machinery and communication rooms.

After the accident, President Donald Trump arrived at the White House on Marine One and told reporters of the collision, “That’s too bad.” He and Vice President Mike Pence also tweeted that their thoughts and prayers were with the sailors aboard the destroyer.

Sen. John McCain joined them and thanked the rescue crews for their service. The destroyer is named for the senator’s father and grandfather, both of whom were Navy admirals. The senator was a captain in the Navy.

Pacific naval impact

The collision comes at a time of high tensions in the Pacific.

The McCain is equipped with the Aegis missile defense system, which has been touted as a possible counter to any North Korean missile launch.

A US 7th Fleet spokesman said the McCain is one of 14 Aegis-equipped ships the Navy has forward-deployed to Japan and it plans to add another next year. The US Navy has 84 vessels equipped with the Aegis system.

Cmdr. Clay Doss said the United States has a mixture of ships and aircraft available to cover all missions even without the McCain or USS Fitzgerald, the McCain’s sister ship that was damaged in a June collision.

The US military and South Korea began 10-day military exercises Monday, as scheduled. The annual drills antagonize Pyongyang, which issued a statement Sunday that military exercises are “reckless behavior driving the situation into the uncontrollable phase of a nuclear war.”

The McCain’s last high-profile mission came earlier this month when it performed a freedom-of-navigation exercise near a Chinese-claimed island in the South China Sea.

Search and rescue

No fuel or oil was seen on the water near the ship after the collision as it steamed under its own power to Changi Naval Base in Singapore, the Navy said.

Malaysian officials said their ships and aircraft had joined the search for the missing sailors.

The search area encompassed 100 nautical square miles, they said, describing sea conditions as rough, with waves up to 1 meter (3.2 feet) high.

In addition to the 10 missing sailors, the Navy said five were injured in the collision. Four of those were flown by a Singapore navy helicopter to a hospital in Singapore, where they were treated for injuries not considered life-threatening, the Navy said.

US helicopters and Marine Corps Osprey aircraft from the amphibious assault ship USS America were joining search-and-rescue efforts along with Singaporean ships and helicopters, the Navy said.

Rocky year for Navy

The McCain collision marks the fourth incident involving a US Navy warship in the Pacific this year.

On June 17, the USS Fitzgerald collided with a container ship off the coast of Japan. That collision resulted in the deaths of seven US sailors. The Fitzgerald will be transported to the United States for repairs.

On May 9, the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain was struck by a small fishing boat off the Korean Peninsula.

And in late January, the guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam ran aground while trying to anchor in Tokyo Bay. Authorities at Yokosuka Naval Base said the Antietam remains out of action.

Experts: ‘Navy is not looking good’

Military experts said the latest incident calls into question the Navy’s training and will likely lead to changes in the Navy’s leadership.

“I can almost guarantee you that there will be a tumultuous shake-up in the senior leadership of at least the 7th Fleet and maybe the Navy in general,” CNN military analyst Rick Francona said.

“The Navy is not looking good about now, especially when we need those … Aegis-equipped ships for possible ballistic missile defense in a North Korean scenario,” he added.

In a report on the Fitzgerald collision released last week, the Navy said it would review its training and qualification procedures.

“The collision was avoidable and both ships demonstrated poor seamanship. Within Fitzgerald, flawed watch stander teamwork and inadequate leadership contributed to the collision,” a 7th Fleet statement said.

Oil tanker ‘three times bigger’

Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, said the oil tanker would have been at least three times bigger than the USS John S. McCain.

“Oil tankers are huge, and it takes miles for them to change course,” he said.

“When you’re going into a congested channel, you’re supposed to be very alert, track ships around you to a very meticulous degree.”

The Malacca Strait, which runs between Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, is the world’s second-busiest waterway, according to the World Economic Forum. The collision took place in waters to the east of the Malacca Strait, US authorities said.

At a press conference, Malaysian authorities said both ships were heading toward Singapore from the South China Sea when the collision occurred. They described the area as very busy, with some 80,000 ships passing through it every year.

Both ships should have reported to what the Malaysian authorities called a maritime “traffic separation scheme,” essentially air traffic control for ships.

Francona said no matter what the tanker did, the faster, nimbler US destroyer should have been able to avoid a collision.

“How does a state-of-the-art Navy destroyer — equipped with multiple radar systems and communications gear with a full bridge watch — not see, detect and evade a 30,000-ton slow-moving (10 knots) behemoth?” Francona asked.

No injuries on tanker

A US Navy official told CNN the McCain had experienced a loss of steering before the collision, but that steering had been regained.

Merchant marine websites describe the Alnic MC as a 600-foot-long oil tanker flying a Liberian flag.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said the Alnic sustained damage to a tank at its bow, about 7 meters (23 feet) above the waterline. No one was injured on the tanker, it said, and no oil spill was reported.

The vessel is 505 feet long and displaces about 9,000 tons.

Japan ready to protect Guam, defense minister says – Trending Stuff

December 6, 2019

In the event of a North Korean nuclear attack on Guam, Japans new defense minister said Thursday that his countrys military could shoot down the missiles before they reach the U.S. territory.

In such a scenario, Japan has the right to activate its Aegis destroyer missile defense system, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said during a session of the National Diet, Japans parliament.

Any attack against Guam would be considered an existential threat to Japan, the defense minister said, also citing a mutual defense agreement with the United States.

Japan lies only about 620 miles to the east of North Korea, which has conducted numerous missile tests this year. Most of the weapons have landed in the Sea of Japan, which lies between Japan and the eastern coast of the massive Asian continent.

Guam lies about 1,600 miles south of Japan.

Onoderas comments reflected what observers have viewed as Japans growing interest in reviving its military and taking a more aggressive stance in the affairs of the Asia-Pacific region than it has since the end of World War II.

Onodera returned to the defense ministers position just last week following a Cabinet reshuffling by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzu Abe. Onodera had previously served in the job from 2012 to 2014.

In March, Onodera led a study that resulted in recommendations for boosting Japans missile response capability, the Australian reported. His department also recently issued a 532-page report on proposed defense initiatives, the news site said.

According to the Australian, Japan is looking to add upgraded ship-to-air interceptors to double its current defense capabilities.

Meanwhile, Japanese cities have started to stage evacuation drills in preparation for a missile attack, and private sales of nuclear shelters have been booming, the Australian reported.

Previously, Japan has said it would shoot down North Korean missiles only if they were directed toward Japan. But last year, Japan enacted a new defense policy, allowing its military to defend U.S. territories and other allies against attack.

North Korea said it was carefully examining a plan to shoot missiles toward Guam, Reuters reported. The development came as tensions have risen in recent months between North Korea and the United States.

President Donald Trump pledged this week to meet any threats from the North Korean government with a response of fire and fury.

North Koreas government in Pyongyang responded by accusing Trump of going senile.

Gen. Kim Rak Gyom, North Koreas commander of strategic rocket forces, spoke to state media Thursday and launched a number of insults at the U.S. president.

He said Trump is extremely getting on the nerves of American soldiers and has showed his senility again.

Sound dialogue is not possible with such a guy bereft of reason who is going senile, the commander said.

This story includes reporting from the Associated Press.

Video shows Trump with associates tied to email controversy – Trending Stuff

December 5, 2019

Washington (CNN)Video obtained exclusively by CNN offers a new look within the web of relationships now in the center of allegations of collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russia.

The movie shows the future President Donald Trump attending a dinner with an Azerbaijani-Russian family who became Trump’s business partners in Las Vegas in June 2013. It also shows their publicist, Rob Goldstone, who would later send Donald Trump Jr. the mails which have brought the eldest Trump son to the center of the controversy over potential collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russia.

Goldstone, who is also observed in the movie talking with Trump, claimed from the 2016 emails that damaging information against Hillary Clinton surfaced following a meeting between somebody Goldstone described as “the Crown prosecutor of Russia” and Aras Agalarov, an Azerbaijani-Russian billionaire with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Goldstone then offered to establish a call between the younger Trump and Emin Agalarov, the billionaire’s son and a pop star Goldstone signifies, to discuss the information.

The video, obtained by CNN in the wake of the email disclosures, offers fresh insights into the warm relationship between Trump and the Agalarovs, which has been widely reported since Aras Agalarov and Emin Agalarov inked a multi-million dollar deal with Trump to bring the Miss Universe pageant to Moscow in 2013.

The movie was shot on June 15, 2013 at Las Vegas on the eve of the Miss USA pageant where Trump would officially announce the deal to bring the Miss Universe competition to Moscow. The footage, a set of clips from the eve of the Miss USA pageant, documents more than three minutes of connections between Trump, the Agalarovs and Goldstone.

Donald Trump Jr. does not appear in the video obtained by CNN, but several other top Trump associates do — including Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, and his long-time aide and current director of Oval Office operations, Keith Schiller, who are both from the movie.

The clips show Trump engaged in animated conversation with the Agalarov guys and Goldstone.

During dinner, Trump is seated across from Aras Agalarov and beside Emin Agalarov — who in turn is seated next to Goldstone. At one point in the clip, Trump and Goldstone engage in a conversation while the younger Agalarov leans into the table.

Another clip shows a conversation between Trump and the Agalarovs prior to the dinner, where Emin Agalarov introduces Trump to his mother and sister — prompting the future US president to remark on their looks.

“Whoa, look at this! Now I’m glad we’re going to dinner,” Trump says after meeting the mother and sister. “What a beautiful mother you have! Well, you produce good looking stuff, right? Beautiful stuff.”

In one conversation captured on the video, Trump discusses how he came to own the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, noting that the previous owners “didn’t know what they were doing,” prompting laughter from the Agalarovs.

“Miss Universe now is, in the whole world, because you know it’s, like the Super Bowl is a watched, but outside the United States, nobody watches it, it’s one of the largest, I think top three broadcasts in the world,” Trump says, prompting Emin Agalarov to suggest that just the Olympics earn more viewership.

The next day, Trump lavishes praise on the Agalarovs in the Miss USA 2013 red rug, calling them “the most powerful people in all of Russia.”

“These are the most powerful people in all of Russia, the richest men in Russia,” Trump says during the public red carpet ceremony, which was included in the clips obtained by CNN.

In another clip from the Miss USA pageant that year, Trump discusses the forthcoming Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. He lavishes praise on Russia and says he hopes the pageant will help enhance the US-Russia relationship.

“It really is a great country. It’s a very powerful country that we have a relationship with, but I would say not a great relationship, and I would say this can certainly help that relationship. I think it’s very important,” Trump says in response to a query.

“I have great respect for Russia. And to have the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow, in the most important location, the most beautiful building, in your convention center, with such amazing partners, I mean it’s going to be fantastic for detente, or whatever you want to say,” Trump continues. “I think it’s a great thing for both countries, and honestly they really wanted it in Russia — badly. … Politically they wanted it.”

Donald Trump Jr. has stated that his relationship with Goldstone did not arise from the Miss Universe pageant.

The younger Trump instead suggested in an interview Tuesday with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, an ardent Trump supporter, that he met Goldstone through a golf course tournament where Emin Agalarov performed.

“I met him through the golf program. I wasn’t even in the Miss Universe pageant, but I met him through out there, so I had a casual relationship with him,” Trump Jr. told Hannity, describing Goldstone later in the interview as “an acquaintance.”

Trump Jr. maintained in the interview that he agreed to the meeting “as a courtesy” to Goldstone.

Trump Jr. said he had only met Emin Agalarov “once or twice and maintained a casual relationship there, spoke about some possible deals, and then to this — the extent of it. They really did not go anywhere.”

Aras Agalarov told Russian radio station BFM that he doesn’t know Trump Jr. personally, though he acknowledges that they “did Miss Universe” together. But Agalarov told BFM that his son Emin Agalarov does know him. Agalarov told BFM he “does not really know” publicist Rob Goldstone either and he says the notion that Goldstone asked Trump Jr. to contact him about some dirt on Hillary Clinton is a “tall tale”.

Scott Balber, an attorney for the Agalarovs, also did not deny the closeness of the relationship between the Trumps and Agalarovs, instead raising a question about Goldstone’s credibility.

“It’s simply fiction that this was a effort to make a conduit for information from the Russian federal prosecutors into the Trump campaign,” Balber said on CNN’s “New Day.” “It’s just dream world since the fact is if there was something significant that Mr. Agalarov wanted to convey to the Trump campaign, I guess he might have called Mr. Trump straight instead of getting his son’s pop music publicist function as intermediary.”

How Americas Aircraft Carriers Could Become Obsolete – Trending Stuff

December 4, 2019

President Donald Trump has actually corresponded in his argument that the United States Navy has actually diminished to a woefully insufficient size. The Republican has actually consistently stated he desires the service to broaden, consisting of a fleet of a lots carrier. That strategy isn &#x 2019; t in the Pentagon &#x 2019; s present budget plan, however on July 22&#xA 0; the Navy will officially commission CVN-78 , the, its most recent, most advanced nuclear-powered provider.

The, struck with hold-ups and technical problems, is anticipated to end up being functional in 2020. One concern about its official preparedness, nevertheless, rests on whether the Navy will #x &carry out 201C; full-ship shock trials, &#x 201D; a test where the service detonates dynamites neighboring&#xA 0; to show its physical fitness. Some in Congress &#x 2014; which has actually mandated a provider fleet no smaller sized&#xA 0; than 11 &#x 2014; wish to move the into task faster to lower stress on the remainder of the provider fleet.

These huge mobile airports, which can haul as lots of as 90 airplane concurrently, are created to predict U.S. diplomatic and military power worldwide. Previously this month, for instance, the Navy published 2 providers, the and the, and their strike groups&#xA 0; in the Sea of Japan for joint workouts with Japan &#x 2019; s Maritime Self-Defense Force as a preventive signal to North Korean aggressiveness.

The is the very first of 4 prepared -class providers, the Navy &#x 2019; s initially brand-new provider style in 42 years, although only 3 of them have names and financing . A shock trial would be deferred till the 2nd provider, CVN-79, the, gets here in 2020, inning accordance with defense financing language being pressed in your home seapower and forecast forces subcommittee.

The -class vessels are crafted to release one-third more sorties daily than their predecessors, utilizing a selection of innovations brand-new to the flattop field, which dates to 1922 when the Navy introduced its very first airplane from its very first provider, the. The Navy &#x 2019; s earliest serving provider , the, got in service in 1975 and is arranged for retirement by 2025 at the current. The Navy prepares to keep its fleet of 11 providers in coming years by utilizing the brand-new -class providers to change retiring boats.

The strike group runs, foreground, with the strike group in the Sea of Japan in May.
Source: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kenneth Abbate/&#xA 0; U.S. Navy

Beyond the concern of what does it cost? field checking a brand-new provider requirements, the military-industrial complex is most likely to challenge a more existential concern in the coming years: Is the attack aircraft carrier defensible, both physically and in monetary terms? For the Navy, the future function of its provider fleet is an important problem. Do these vessels maintain their main function in U.S. foreign power, or will Congress and military leaders discover more attractive methods to release the enormous budget plans a provider group needs?

At approximately $13 billion, the is the Navy &#x 2019; s most costly ship and shows up with important efficiency kinks that professionals are working to correct by 2019. 2 developments that have actually so far caused Navy headaches: an electrical catapult launch system that changes steam &#x 2014; a choice Trump derided in a publication interview &#x 2014; and a landing system to detain airplanes that saw its expense triple to $961 million, Bloomberg News reported. The catapult can not yet release an F/A -18 Super Hornet totally filled with fuel, which restricts the variety and efficiency of the Navy &#x 2019; s workhorse fighter airplane.&#xA 0;

The Navy is investing$24.3 billion for the and, with another $17 billion anticipated for the 3rd -class provider, the. A General Accountability Office report this month blasted the service over expenses on the, which has to do with half completed. The report concluded that the expense quote doesn &#x 2019; t address lessons gained from the efficiency of the lead ship.&#xA 0;

When it pertains to provider releases, the most instant issue&#xA 0; is the security of the more than 7,000 team members who&#xA 0; travel &#xA 0; with a provider strike group, an armada created to secure the ship&#xA 0; and its airplane along with to work as &#x 201C; a primary aspect of U.S. power forecast ability , &#x 201D; as the Navy terms it.

But this development is most likely to deal with higher threats due to brand-new rocket innovation in the coming years. China and Russia are both improving more advanced rocket styles, and both are thought to be establishing hypersonic move cars (HGVs), weapons that take a trip faster than Mach 5, inning accordance with a Pentagon report acquired by Bloomberg News.

China currently fields a ballistic rocket, the Dong Feng-21D, which has actually been called a &#x 201C; provider killer &#x 201D; due to its 900-mile variety and lethality. With time, these kinds of weapons are most likely to keep U.S. providers further from coast, which will need higher refueling abilities for their airplane matches.

The towers of the decommissioned (CVN 65), left, and (CVN 78), right, at Huntington Ingalls Industries &#x 2019; Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard in Virginia in 2014. A later -class provider will likewise be called the.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

For numerous years, the Pentagon has &#x 201C; appreciated the issue &#x 201D; of how long-range opponent rockets impact its provider fleet however has actually prevented hard choices about ways to increase the fleets &#x 2019; airplane variety and offer more unmanned airplane, stated Paul Scharre, senior fellow and director of the innovation and nationwide security program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), a not-for-profit think tank. The Navy &#x 2019; s strike variety from its provider wings has really dipped by 50 percent, listed below 500 miles , according to Jerry Hendrix, another CNAS expert.

Last year, the they&#xA 0; suggested ditching the Ford-class providers after the &#x 2019; s conclusion and increasing the Navy &#x 2019; s offending variety with a higher dependence on unmanned airplane, consisting of a long-range attack platform. The Navy &#x 2019; s submarine fleet would likewise grow to 74, from 58, under the author &#x 2019; s suggestions , which showed a 2 percent yearly boost in Pentagon financing.

&#x 201C; One of the important things we wished to show is that you might reorient the force towards future risks, &#x 201D; stated Scharre, a previous Army Ranger&#xA 0; who studies future warfare.

More costs for unmanned platforms, from electronic devices jamming to security and reconnaissance, would offer pilots&#xA 0; in F/A -18 s along with the more recent F-35Cs more variety and efficiency. Since the Pentagon hasn &#x 2019; t established unmanned platforms, &#x 201C; marine pilots … are accepting a world where the provider has less importance in higher-end battles, versus high-end foes, &#x 201D; Scharre stated.

One example of the Navy &#x 2019; s muddled view on variety, states Scharre, is the MQ-25 Stingray, an unmanned aerial refueling tanker, that &#x 2019; s thought about an important element of future provider operations. The Stingray might be released as early as 2019 on 2 providers. The Navy hasn &#x 2019; t defined whether the MQ-25 &#x 2019; s accurate function would be as an objective tanker to accompany fighters on battle strikes, or simply as a healing tanker loitering near providers for pilots who miss out on&#xA 0; techniques and are low on fuel, Scharre stated.

Despite these tactical imperfections, there &#x 2019; s still a political truth to battle with: The Navy &#x 2019; s biggest ships stay politically untouchable. The provider maintains a mystique throughout the military and Congress; it &#x 2019; s an 1,100-foot giant that &#x 2019; s end up being a distinctively American sign of controling military power. Amongst the fixed-wing carrier-equipped countries, Italy has 2, while Brazil, China, France, India, and Russia each field one. The United Kingdom is constructing 2, consisting of the, which started sea trials today.

An F-35C Lightning II provider alternative joint strike fighter gets ready for launch aboard the carrier (CVN 69) in October 2015.
Source: U.S. Navy

The most recent -class vessels have a life span of 50 years, however the Pentagon might discover itself challenged more powerfully by China and Russia by the 2030s, inning accordance with a January 2017 report from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), a not-for-profit think tank that promotes for a Navy reconfiguration.

&#x 201C; The ability and desire of excellent powers such as China and Russia to challenge the status quo are increasing, and the United States will have to move the focus of its military operations from preserving security versus these workable dangers to discouraging hostility by extremely capable enemies, &#x 201D; inning accordance with the comprehensive&#xA 0; report .

The Navy &#x 2019; s existing size is likewise insufficient for the needs military leaders position upon it, with implementations growing longer and more regular, inning accordance with the CSBA &#x 2019; s report. &#x 201C; For example, in 1998 just 4 percent of the Navy &#x 2019; s releases were longer than 6 months; today all are. &#x 201D;

In this view of a more robust, reconfigured Navy, the provider fleet will likewise have to develop to presume brand-new responsibilities, from increasing their own logistics and refueling abilities to extending their strike variety to brand-new monitoring and reconnaissance objectives.

&#x 201C; It &#x 2019; s never ever great when we have any part of our military or force structure that is sacrosanct, &#x 201D; Scharre stated. &#x 201C; We have to want to assess all the various elements of our military force and our financial investments in a goal, analytical method. &#x 201D;

Trump honors veterans at Celebrate Freedom Rally – Trending Stuff

December 4, 2019December 4, 2019

President Donald Trump provided an Independence Day address honoring American veterans numerous whom originated from the Washington, D.C. location to go to the Celebrate Freedom Rally at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

America is a land abundant with heroes, stated Trump at the occasion, which consisted of injured warriors who are clients at the Walter Reed Medical.

During his speech, the president personally saluted World War II veteran Harry Miller for his long-lasting service and injured warrior Luis Avila. Miller got in the reserves at 15, although he was not old sufficient to serve. He battled in Europe and in The Battle of the Bulge. Avila, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was on a 5th implementation when he was injured, losing his leg, throughout an intelligence reconnaissance objective.

We all bleed the very same red blood, stated Trump, assuring an adoring crowd that America would win once again.

TRUMP ATTACKS MEDIA AS ‘FAKE’ AND ‘FRAUDULENT’

Choirs carried out The Battle Hymn of the Republic and other hymns and debuted a tune with the lyrics make America terrific once again Trumps project motto.

Since the finalizing of the Declaration of Independence 241 years back, America constantly verified that liberty originates from our developer. Our rights are offered to us by God, and no earthly force can ever take those rights away. That is why my administration is moving power from Washington and returning that power back where it comes from individuals, Trump stated.

Our spiritual liberty is preserved in the initial modification in the Bill of Rights. The American creators invoked our developer 4 times in the Declaration of Independence,” stated Trump. “Benjamin Franklin advised his associates at the Constitutional Convention to start by bowing their heads in prayer. Engraved on our currency are the words: In God We Trust.

TRUMP CHIDES STATES FOR NOT COMPLYING WITH VOTING COMMISSION

Evangelical megachurch First Baptist Dallas sponsored the occasion. Baptist Pastor Robert Jeffress, who was a strong backer of Trump, stated in a declaration: We have in President Donald J. Trump one of the terrific patriots of our modern-day age and a president who treasures the sacrifice and service of those in our armed forces.

Overwhelming assistance from evangelical citizens assisted move Trump to triumph in 2016. The phony media aimed to stop us from going to the White House, however Im president and theyre not, he stated.

The Associated Press added to this story.

Breaking with tradition, Trump White House forgoes Ramadan dinner – Trending Stuff

December 1, 2019December 1, 2019

(CNN)For the very first time in almost twenty years, the White House did not host an iftar supper to celebrate Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.

Instead, President Donald Trump and very first girl Melania launched a declaration on Saturday wanting “warm greetings” to those commemorating Eid al-Fitr, an essential vacation marking completion of Ramadan.

“Muslims in the United States signed up with those around the globe throughout the holy month of Ramadan to concentrate on acts of faith and charity,” they stated. “Now, as they celebrate Eid with friends and family, they continue the custom of breaking and assisting next-door neighbors bread with individuals from all strolls of life.”

By not hosting a supper, Trump breaks with a yearly custom supported by the previous 3 administrations. The suppers started under President Bill Clinton and were continued by both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. They were generally participated in by popular members of the Muslim neighborhood along with members of Congress and diplomats from Muslim nations.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson likewise braked with years of custom by turning down a demand by the State Department’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs to host a reception marking Eid al-Fitr, inning accordance with 2 administration authorities knowledgeable about the choice.

Since 1999, Tillerson’s 5 Democratic and republican predecessors have actually hosted either an iftar supper to break the quick throughout Ramadan or an Eid al-Fitr reception at the end of the monthlong vacation. Numerous diplomatic posts overseas likewise host occasions throughout the Ramadan month of fasting and prayer.

The President has actually had a laden relationship with the Muslim neighborhood in the United States. Lots of slammed his project path requires the monitoring of mosques as Islamophobic. In the White House, Trump has actually tried to restriction travel to the United States from numerous Muslim-majority nations. Throughout his very first journey abroad, Trump tried to bridge that divide, providing a speech to the leaders of 55 Muslim-majority nations calling for unity in the battle versus terrorism.

Would Trump make a good royal? – Trending Stuff

December 1, 2019December 1, 2019

(CNN)The power of the British monarchy has actually been on display screen throughout current catastrophes.

Whether soothing victims of the Grenfell tower block fire or revealing the concerns of her federal government in the state opening of Parliament, Queen Elizabeth II has actually shown the sort of consistent, dignified endurance that increases above the turmoil of a dissentious Brexit vote and an undetermined basic election.

Leave it to Prince Harry to ruin everything.

king or queen ? I do not believe so, however we will perform our tasks at the correct time,”he stated.

Prince Harry’s words are amazing. He must understand much better than anybody if his daddy Charles and bro William, both groomed for the task because birth, do not even desire the throne.

Who, after all, could make it through the continuously attention and need for selfies? Who would grow under such examination, and do it all while using a gold crown weighing more than 3 pounds?

It would take a specific kind of individual. The sort of individual who fills his court with family members, maybe, who believes the separation of powers is a foreign idea, and who would rather elegant himself as the head of a church.

Anyone entering your mind here?

President Donald Trump might be having a hard time to browse power worldwide’s biggest democracy. How about the leading task in a smaller sized, dustier administration?

There might be centuries of convention about how the queen is expected to associate with Parliament (keep peaceful and sign the expenses when they show up), however an unwritten constitution suggests there is absolutely nothing to stop him doing whatever he desires.

These days, weding a Catholic is not even an issue, so Melania is safe.

It is, naturally, a foolish concept. A bad joke released by a Brit in America (yours really) attempting to understand Prince Harry’s remarks and the reality about task.

Harry’s point is that no one must desire the crown. No one needs to desire the remarkable obligations that include it. The mishap of birth has rather ruled him from contention anyhow. Prince Harry now stands 5th in line to the throne.

But it is simple to comprehend how a fun-loving 30-something would balk at the concept.

His mom passed away in a vehicle mishap in a French roadway tunnel as she was pursued by paparazzi, professional photographers aiming to sate the enormous interest in the Royals’ real-life daytime soap.

An image of Harry strolling in his mom’s funeral cortege ended up being the general public’s specifying picture of the young prince.

“My mom had actually simply passed away, and I needed to stroll a long method behind her casket, surrounded by countless individuals enjoying me while millions more did on tv,” he stated in the Newsweek interview.

“I do not believe any kid must be asked to do that, under any scenarios. I do not believe it would occur.”

It became worse as Harry grew older and ended up being reasonable video game for the tabloids. Now every sweetheart is inspected by a public that understands him just from a range.

When he dressed up as a Nazi for a costume celebration, photos showed up on paper front pages.

And as his sibling William will one day learn, being king rather makes appearing at a Colonials and Natives themed celebration a little a no-no. (Although his option of clothing at that infamous 2005 celebration– a lion outfit– reveals the method he has actually been groomed from a young age to prevent unintentionally activating outrage by dressing up as a homicidal fascist.)

We have all marveled and saw the crown at the method Princess Elizabeth progressed into a young queen as she faced her brand-new problem and the responsibilities she discovered at her dad’s side.

How much harder that shift would be today, in our continuously world of Twitter, hot takes and rolling news.

Join us on Twitter and Facebook

Anyone starving after the position of sovereign would have not simply an unhealthy masochism, however a level of narcissism at chances with the humbleness shown by the Queen throughout this previous week.

What sort of beast would desire that life?

Saudis Cling to Tradition – Trending Stuff

November 30, 2019November 30, 2019

At food trucks off a hectic highway in Riyadh, young Saudis started the weekend with hamburgers and ice cream, the guys served by females covered leading to toe in black as music stifled the din of generators.

The unwinded environment on a Thursday night in the run-up to U.S. President Donald Trump &#x 2019; s go to in May marked the start of the weekend, however it &#x 2019; s an image that stirs anxiety in the birth place of Islam. Till a year back, it would have breached restrictions to music and sexes blending in public.

&#x 201C; They &#x 2019; re requiring females to do abnormal things, like offering to guys, &#x 201D; stated Abdullah, 35. A federal government employee moonlighting as a cabby, he asked not to be recognized by his household name. &#x 201C; They desire us to unwind by paying attention to music. Who requires music when you have the Koran? &#x 201D;

The modifications that some Saudis are discovering so upsetting become part of the grand roadmap for the kingdom &#x 2019; s future&#xA 0; revealed by now Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman simply over a year back. The 31-year-old, raised as&#xA 0; successor to the throne &#xA 0; today in a shakeup of the royal home, is aiming to&#xA 0; make the nation minimize its dependence on oil.&#xA 0;

Yet amongst a population that &#x 2019; s just understood a severe analysis of Islam, a number of the lots or so individuals spoke with over a week state the social modifications that opt for it&#xA 0; will bring the type of decadence they were cautioned about in mosques and schools. That stress with those who invite it is significantly obvious in Riyadh and might show challenging for the prince.

The law enforcement officer, or &#x 201C; mutawa, &#x 201D; who support Islamic code on behalf of the spiritual facility, were removed of their powers in 2015. They are now back travelling the streets and shopping centers of the Saudi capital, constantly more conservative than the trading center of Jeddah, buying females to conceal.

Saudis wait outside closed shops at a shopping mall in Riyadh.

Photographer: Donna Abu-Nasr/Bloomberg

Saudi-backed satellite channels still transmit ultra-religious messages. The descendants of Sheikh Mohammed bin Abd al-Wahhab, the 18th-century imam whose ascetic brand name of Islam controls Saudi Arabia, have actually required that Qatar get rid of&#xA 0; his name from its most significant mosque. It demonstrates how the spiritual facility backs the federal government &#x 2019; s policy towards Qatar, whose Saudi-led seclusion is now in its 3rd week.

There was talk in the kingdom of opening movie theaters and decreasing the time shops are needed to close for the 5 day-to-day prayers, actions that would &#x 2019; ve straight challenged the conservative clerics. They &#x 2019; re yet to occur.

&#x 201C; The management in Saudi Arabia, despite the fact that there are some liberals amongst them, is still susceptible to a possible reaction from the hard-line conservative components, &#x 201D;&#xA 0; stated Nabeel Khoury, a previous U.S. State Department authorities who is now non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, an American company concentrating on foreign affairs. &#x 201C; They step around these individuals like you &#x 2019; re strolling on eggs. &#x 201D;

Inevitable Fight

Ostensibly a plan to wean the economy off oil, &#x 201C; Vision 2030 &#x 201D; likewise required a &#x 201C; lively society &#x 201D; with more female employees, sports clubs and home entertainment. That made dispute unavoidable in a nation where religious beliefs takes a distinctively main function. The Saudi king holds the title of custodian of Islam &#x 2019; s 2 holiest websites and the nation &#x 2019; s constitution is the Koran.

As Saudis argument enabling ladies to own or whether music is haram, indicating forbidden for Muslims, Gulf nations and city states like Dubai have actually been succeeding financially by opening to the outdoors world.

&#x 201C; Ultimately to take financial reforms to their rational conclusion you require political and social reforms to totally free the energies of the population, &#x 201D; stated Khoury. If you reform the spiritual facility, &#x 201C; That can just take place. &#x 201D;&#xA 0;

Abd al-Wahhab &#x 2019; s rigorous mentors penetrate every element of life . Lots of Saudis think that if they accepted the continuous modifications and, state, they paid attention to tunes or engaged with members of the opposite sex, their faith would be risked.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, who has actually stated permitting females to own was &#x 201C; an unsafe matter that ought to not be allowed, &#x 201D; just recently informed Saudi day-to-day paper Okaz that some scholars and clerics were incorrect to back music since it breaks Islamic mentor.

&#x 201C; The application of the vision has actually produced a sort of the federal government and a shock need to &#x 2019; ve prepared the general public for it, &#x 201D; stated Hatoon al-Fassi, a Saudi historian who teaches at Qatar University. &#x 201C; How can you teach that music, the genders blending and home entertainment are Islamically prohibited and after that place on a show? It &#x 2019; s unjust to those who wish to be on exactly what they were informed was the best course to all of a sudden be informed it &#x 2019; s now alright to have a good time. &#x 201D;&#xA 0;

The Wahhabis

The Wahhabi brand name of Islam has actually indicated modification was sluggish and constantly careful in Saudi Arabia. Extremists opposed the intro of radio, tv, automobiles and education for ladies, which started in the early 1960s. Some Saudis, while not always authorizing of the radicalism, see it as security versus damaging foreign impacts. In previous times of turmoil, the Al Saud royal household has actually relied on clerics to support its authenticity, which indicated reserving any program of social modification.

In presenting Vision 2030 in 2015, Mohammed bin Salman&#xA 0; stated &#x 201C; our status as the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds &#x 201D; was its main pillar. &#x 201C; The concepts of Islam will be the owning force for us to understand our vision, &#x 201D; he stated.

For sis Fahda al-Qarni, 28, and Nof al-Qarni, 25, that was assuring. Both covered in black capes with just their eyes revealing, they mored than happy with the modifications and invited home entertainment chances &#x 2014; as long as they complied with the kingdom &#x 2019; s conservative worths.

&#x 201C; Religion is essential in our lives and there &#x 2019; s no other way we &#x 2019; re going to provide it up, &#x 201D; stated Fahda, a nutritional expert, as her more youthful brother or sister nodded approval while waiting in line at a shop in Riyadh. &#x 201C; We desire Saudi Arabia to stay a conservative nation. &#x 201D;

With the kingdom aiming to manage the collapse of oil costs, the federal government sees the financial benefit from opening society. It &#x 2019; s attempting to construct a show business, signing agreements with theme-park business Six Flags, to lure Saudis to invest their loan in the house.

Split Society

The proposed intro of more western methods has actually divided Saudis. They vary from those who believe it weakens the nation &#x 2019; s Islamic culture to those who think it &#x 2019; s the only method to introduce the 21st century commercialism the deputy crown prince desires.

Several Saudi males stated they can &#x 2019; t bear the idea of their better halves going to the movie theater or owning and oppose the decrease of spiritual classes at schools or ending the compulsory closure of shops throughout prayer. Thus much of the regional labor force, they were all civil servant and decreased to offer their names for worry of reprisals since they opposed the relaxation produced by Vision 2030.

&#x 201C; The kingdom from its creation has actually been conservative and not utilized to this, &#x 201D;&#xA 0; stated Mohammed, 30. &#x 201C; We require real estate. We #x &put on 2019; t requirement home entertainment. &#x 201D;

On the other end of the spectrum is legal representative Noha al-Rasheed, 25. Worn a white-trimmed abaya, the conventional Saudi full-length cape, she concerns whether the brand-new period of openness even exists.

Saudi attorney Noha al-Rasheed in her workplace in Riyadh.
Photographer: Donna Abu-Nasr/Bloomberg

&#x 201C; I sanctuary &#x 2019; t seen anything about assisting the neighborhood to be more open, &#x 201D;&#xA 0; empowering females, providing civil liberties, level playing fields, al-Rasheed stated at her workplace. At a current poetry night arranged by the recently developed home entertainment authority, her sibling &#x 2019; s spouse needed to go to the guys &#x 2019; s area. &#x 201C; I was stunned to see different locations for ladies and guys, &#x 201D;&#xA 0; stated al-Rasheed. &#x 201C; It was not a household activity. &#x 201D;&#xA 0;

The technique is to ease the worries of individuals on both sides, inning accordance with Aljazi al-Shebaiki, a retired university teacher. She stated there ought to be limitations and while the majority of the home entertainment occasions she &#x 2019; s participated in have actually been &#x 201C; decent, &#x 201D; &#xA 0; a couple of were not. Some females used excessive cosmetics, others sat and laughed at the very same table as males. Individuals paid attention to like tunes.

&#x 201C; We are the spring of Islam and it &#x 2019; s inescapable that we are various from others in our worths and religious beliefs, &#x 201D; she stated. &#x 201C; But this need to not avoid us from connecting with the remainder of the world and motivating small amounts. &#x 201D;

At the food truck in Riyadh, bank supervisor Mashaa Almotairi, 35, stated she opened it with a sis and a bro due to the fact that she enjoys to prepare. At Chop-Chop, she &#x 2019; s making 5 times her wage from working a couple of nights a week after work.

Saudi business owner Mashaa Almotairi stands in front of the food truck she owns with her brother or sisters in Riyadh.
Photographer: Donna Abu-Nasr/Bloomberg

Almotairi, who used a surgical mask instead of cooking hamburgers laced with pomegranate molasses in her niqab, stated being a conservative female isn &#x 2019; t an issue. &#x 201C; Religion doesn &#x 2019; t prohibited us from working as long as we comply with it, &#x 201D;&#xA 0; she stated.

Ibrahim Alotaibi, 35, owner of a business that makes the food trucks, stated those who withstand modification will pertain to recognize something: &#x 201C; Openness has to do with opening your mind, &#x 201D; he stated. &#x 201C; Not opening your abaya. &#x 201D;