The Army is launching a sweeping overhaul of its recruiting to reverse enlistment shortfalls
The Army is launching a sweeping overhaul of its recruiting to focus more on young people who've spent time in college or are job hunting early in their careers
2023-10-04 03:16
Russian fighter jet worth more than $30 million crashes during training exercise
A Russian fighter jet worth more than $30 million has crashed over Russia during a training exercise, according to the country’s defence ministry. The Ministry said two crew members on board the Su-34 fighter jet were able to eject as it crashed in a deserted area of the Voronezh region in Central Russia. The Su-34, made by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi, first flew in 1990 but entered the Russian Air Force fleet in 2014. In 2015, they were used during the Russian military intervention in Syria to attack ISIS targets. The estimated value is reportedly between $36m and $50m. It comes after the debris of an $80m Marine Corps F-35 fighter jet that went missing when its pilot ejected during a “mishap” was found in a South Carolina field after a day-long search. It was discovered in the Indiantown area of Williamsburg County, United States, according to officials. The search for the jet began on Sunday after its pilot was found on in North Charleston, South Carolina, after safely ejecting. And in September last year, a Russian pilot fired two missiles towards an RAF surveillance plane after mistakenly believing he had permission to fire. Following the incident, Russia claimed it had been caused by a “technical malfunction” with the UK’s Ministry of Defence publicly accepting their explanation last week. However, intercepted communications reveal that one of the Russian pilots believed he had been given permission to target the aircraft following an ambiguous command from a Russian ground station. After firing, the first missile missed the RAF plane while the second failed to launch successfully. If it had reached its target, it could potentially have drawn a Nato member into a military confrontation with Mr Putin’s Russia. The two Russian SU-27 fighter jets had encountered the RAF plane, which was carrying a crew of up to 30 people, as it was flying a surveillance mission over the Black Sea in international airspace on 29 September. Read More Debris of missing F-35 fighter jet found in South Carolina field after day-long search Russian pilot tries to shoot down RAF spy plane over Black Sea: ‘You have the target’ Kim Jong-un inspects Russian fighter jets on visit to aviation plant The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
2023-09-20 19:53
Johannesburg fire: 'Others jumped too, but they didn't make it'
One survivor tells of his escape, another says she was powerless with her children trapped inside.
2023-08-31 22:46
'We Are a Family': 'Friends' stars Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow all mourn Matthew Perry's death
'We are all so utterly devastated,' Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, and Matt LeBlanc said in a joint statement
2023-10-31 07:45
Nobel Prize awarded for discovery of quantum dots that changed everything from TV displays to cancer imaging
The 2023 Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded to a trio of scientists who worked to discover and develop quantum dots, used in LED lights and TV screens, as well as by surgeons when removing cancer tissue.
2023-10-04 18:24
Lawyers for Epstein victim suing JPMorgan Chase ask to recall Jamie Dimon and others for depositions
In a lawsuit over the role JPMorgan Chase played in longtime client Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking crimes, attorneys for an anonymous Epstein victim have asked a federal judge to allow them to question JPMC CEO Jamie Dimon and other bank personnel for a second time.
2023-06-10 01:47
Meta backs down on Donald Trump Jr ‘misinformation’ warning
It didn’t take very long for conservatives to pounce on Meta’s new Twitter competitor and accuse it of censoring a prominent conservative, forcing the social media giant to back down. Last week, the New York Post reported that users of Instagram Threads — the upstart from Facebook’s parent company meant to take advantage of Twitter users’ discontent over the site’s Elon Musk-era problems — were offered a warning when they attempted to follow Donald Trump Jr, the eldest son of twice-impeached, twice-indicted ex-president Donald Trump. They were asked if they were “sure” they wanted to do so, and warned that the younger Mr Trump had “repeatedly posted false information that was reviewed by independent fact-checkers or went against our Community Guidelines”. The Trump Organization executive, who frequently posts false and inflammatory statements targeting prominent Democrats, posted a screen grab of the warning to Twitter on Thursday, around the time the new app went live. “Threads not exactly off to a great start,” he wrote. “Hey Instagram, threads is verbal, so the whole skimpy bikini thing is not going to work so well if your influencers can’t actually formulate a sentence… IMHO you may want to rethink cutting off those who can”. Meta communications boss Andy Stone responded that the warning “was an error and shouldn’t have happened”. “It’s been fixed,” he added. In response, Mr Trump replied: “Ok thanks I appreciate that”. The frustrated would-be poster’s father was banned from Instagram and Facebook for two years after he incited a deadly riot at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. On that day, a mob of the defeated president’s supporters stormed the seat of the US legislature in hopes of preventing certification of President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Read More Instagram Threads hits 100 million users, becoming easily the fastest growing app ever Twitter restores old, ‘better’ version of TweetDeck – but for how long? Account tracking Elon Musk’s jet is now on Threads after it was suspended from Twitter Elon Musk says ‘Zuck is cuck’ as Threads inches closer to 100m users
2023-07-11 00:22
House Democrats call for investigation into Clarence Thomas over corruption claims
A host of House Democrats, led by Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, are urging the Justice Department to launch a probe into Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas “for consistently failing to report significant gifts he received from Harlan Crow and other billionaires for nearly two decades in defiance of his duty under federal law.” In the 11 August letter addressed to US Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Democrats cited the bombshell reports by ProPublica, alleging that Justice Thomas did not disclose luxurious trips and gifts from his billionaire friend Harlan Crow. They wrote that Mr Thomas did not disclose the gifts, “despite certifying repeatedly that his financial disclosure forms are ‘accurate, true, and complete’ in certifications ‘subject to civil and criminal sanctions.’” Supreme Court justices are required to file annual reports disclosing “financial income, gifts and reimbursements, property interests, liabilities, and transactions,” the letter states. While some expenses may be exempt from this requirement, the letter continues, “that exemption does not extend to the officer’s receipt of complimentary transportation, such as the extensive private jet, helicopter, and yacht travel received by Justice Thomas.” It then lays out the consequences of violating the Ethics in Government Act, which states that the attorney general can bring a civil action “against any individual who knowingly and willfully falsifies or who knowingly and willfully fails to file or report any information that such individual is required to report pursuant.” The letter lays out the gifts provided to the Supreme Court Justice from Mr Crow and other wealthy businessmen. “ All told, Thomas has received at least 38 designation vacations, 26 private jet flights, eight helicopter flights, VIP passes to sporting events, stays at luxury resorts, and an invitation to an exclusive golf club” and the estimated value of his gifts since his Supreme Court appointment amounts to millions of dollars, according to the letter. The Supreme Court justice’s “consistent failure to disclose gifts and benefits from industry magnates and wealthy, politically active executives highlights a blatant disregard for judicial ethics as well as apparent legal violations,” the Democrats wrote. “Refusing to hold him accountable would set a dangerous precedent,” they wrote. The letter is signed by Reps Ocasio-Cortez, Jerry Nadler, Jamie Raskin, Hank Johnson, and Ted Lieu. Mr Thomas has been under scrutiny over the past few months following the blockbuster ProPublica reports. On Thursday, New Jersey Rep Bill Pascrell called for his resignation: “He’s corrupt as hell and should resign today,” the lawmaker wrote. Similarly, Rep Gerry Connolly wrote, “Thomas has repeatedly brought dishonor and ethical malpractice to our highest Court,” adding, “I reiterate my call that he must resign. This is exactly why we need SCOTUS ethics reform.” Read More US appeals court dismisses motion challenging permits for natural gas pipeline Lavish vacations, private jets and VIP passes: How wealthy donors put Clarence Thomas in the lap of luxury ‘Corrupt as hell’: Clarence Thomas faces fresh calls to resign after more billionaire gifts revealed
2023-08-12 21:56
Anger as security guard avoids charges despite video showing him shooting dead transgender activist
The San Francisco district attorney has released the surveillance footage that showed the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old transgender activist accused of shoplifting by a Walgreens security guard. The video was released on Monday following a public outcry after it was announced that the district attorney won't file charges against the guard, identified as Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony. The footage shows the guard assaulting unarmed Banko Brown on 27 April before fatally shooting him outside a downtown Walgreens. Brown was a budding community organiser known for helping Black transgender youth and reportedly struggled with homelessness. Last week, the board of supervisors unanimously approved a resolution urging district attorney Brooke Jenkins's office to release more evidence. She cited self-defence in her decision not to charge the guard. The video, which does not have sound, shows Brown heading for the door with a bag in his hand when he is intercepted by the guard. He then pushes and repeatedly punches Brown in the head before pinning him to the ground. The scuffle continues when after a point, the guard lifts Brown into the air. When Mr Anthony lets Brown go, he picks up the bag and moves to exit the store. He turns around and appears to step toward Mr Anthony, at which point the guard lifts his gun and shoots once, sending Brown falling back onto the ground. Mr Anthony, who was initially arrested and later released, told the police that he asked Brown to put the items back, but Brown was aggressive and fought to keep them. He said he told Brown he would let him go if he calmed down, and that Brown kept saying he was going to stab him. However, a knife was not found on Brown. Mr Anthony argued that he let Brown go, but he drew his gun and kept it pointed at the ground just in case Brown attacked. He said he shot when Brown advanced. The case was discharged by the district attorney on 1 May. The guard in interviews also misgendered Brown, referring to him as “she” and “her”. San Francisco supervisor Shamann Walton said in a statement that the video does not show justification for the shooting. Mr Walton said he plans to join board president Aaron Peskin in calling on the state attorney general for an independent review of the prosecutor’s decision. But Ms Jenkins, who has been criticised for handling the case, said that even after seeking more evidence, there was nothing to rebut the guard’s claim of self-defense. She pleaded with viewers to review all the evidence, including witness and police reports, given that the video footage lacks sound. "There will be a temptation, as human beings, to only view the video footage of this incident and nothing else," Ms Jenkins said. "We are accustomed to seeing videos online, and that often is what captures our attention rather than going the extra step to look deeper." Community members on Monday afternoon gathered outside Walgreens to protest against Ms Jenkins's decision to not file charges. Activists, politicians and others who reviewed the released footage of Brown’s death alleged that the video proves the security guard did not act in self-defence as suggested by the district attorney. Demonstrators with banners that read ”Justice for Banko Brown” demanded that Ms Jenkins press charges against the guard. "I was sad, but now I'm mad. I'm so mad. He was on the way to the centre the day he died," Tumani Drew, a friend of Brown's, told The San Francisco Standard. "All we know is that Banko was leaving the store. Anthony had no right to take his life." Brown worked as a community organiser for the Young Women’s Freedom Center – a nonprofit that provides support for young women and trans youths. "We do not need to see the video to know that Banko Brown’s killing was unjustified. Armed force is not a justified response to poverty,” said Julia Arroyo, the centre’s co-executive director. "We must live with the sobering reality that he was killed for no other cause but $14." Read More Transgender woman jailed for rape sent to male prison Payback? Project funds axed after Kansas lawmaker defies governor on abortion, trans rights Wave of anti-transgender bills in Republican-led states divides US faith leaders
2023-05-16 12:45
Republicans get top recruit in Nevada to take on Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen
Sam Brown, a retired Army captain who was severely burned by the explosion of a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, announced his plans to enter Nevada's Republican primary Monday to take on Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen next fall.
2023-07-10 18:20
Who is Willard Ford? Harrison Ford's son was forced to close his gym business due to the pandemic
The 'Indiana Jones' star first became a parent in the 1960s with births of sons Benjamin and Willard
2023-06-01 22:22
Clint Eastwood's daughter Morgan shares rare photo with boyfriend wishing for 'a European summer'
The acting legend is reported to have eight children, and Morgan Eastwood is one of his six daughters
2023-05-09 19:15
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