UNITED STATES FLIES B52 BOMBERS NEAR SOUTH CHINA SEA
WASHINGTON: Two US B-52 bombers flew near contested islands in the South China Sea and “participated in a routine training mission”, according to a statement from Pacific Air Forces. The two B-52H Stratofortress bombers, which are based in Guam, “participated in a routine training mission in the vicinity of the South China Sea” the statement said on Wednesday, adding that the flight was part of US Indo-pacific Command’s “Continuous Bomber Presence operations” which have been ongoing since March 2004, reports CNN. The Pentagon would not confirm which islands the B-52s flew by, but recent tensions have focused on the Spratly Islands. The US regularly flies aircraft in the South China Sea, but Beijing is particularly sensitive about the operations when they come near areas where China has built islands and established military facilities on disputed maritime features. IANS
Result of globalisation: Putin on Crimean shooting
SOCHI (RUSSIA): Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said the mass school shooting in Crimea a day before was the result of “globalisation” and the continuation of an American trend. “It’s a result of globalisation. On the internet, we see there is a whole community that has been created. Everything started with the tragic events in schools in the US,” he said at a forum in Sochi. He said unstable young people were creating “fake heroes for themselves” and “reaching out for a surrogate for heroism” in absence of the real thing.
EXFBI agent charged with leaking jailed for 48 mnths
WASHINGTON: A federal judge in Minnesota sentenced former FBI agent Terry Albury to 48 months in prison on Thursday for leaking classified information to a journalist, his defence lawyer Joshua Dratel told Reuters. Albury’s sentence is much harsher than his defence lawyers had hoped, but slightly less severe than the 52-month prison term sought. Albury’s attorneys have said that he was a whistleblower and portrayed his decision to leak information related to the FBI’S counterintelligence program as “an act of conscience.” REUTERS
Prosecution admits to new error in Weinstein case
NEW YORK: The prosecution has admitted to a new embarrassing error in the Harvey Weinstein case, saying a police detective told one of the producer’s accusers to delete from her phone anything she wanted to keep private. In a letter to Weinstein’s attorney, prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-orbon said the lead detective had made the recommendation to one of two women accusing Weinstein in the case, in which he faces charges of rape and a forced oral sex act. “The detective told her she “should delete anything she did not want anyone to see before giving the phones.”
Melania’s plane lands safely after smoke seen in cabin
MARYLAND: US first lady Melania Trump’s airplane returned to the Joint Base Andrews military facility in Maryland after experiencing a “minor mechanical issue” on Wednesday, her spokeswoman said in a statement. About 15 minutes after takeoff, the plane’s cabin started filling with smoke and there was a smell of something burning, according to a separate statement from reporters who were on board. The plane landed shortly after 9 am EDT (1300 GMT). “Everyone is safe,” said the first lady’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham. REUTERS