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NATIONAL MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT OFFICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION Washington 25, D. C. MEMORANDUM TO THE PRESS NO. M 26 - 49 IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 27, 1949 RE 6700 Ext. 3201 The following report is a digest of preliminary studies made by the Air Material Command, Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, on "Flying Saucers." PROJECT "SAUCER" On Tuesday, June 24, 1947, a Boise, Idaho businessman named Kenneth Arnold looked from his private plane and spotted a chain of nine saucer-like objects playing tag with the jagged peaks of Washington's Mt. Ranier at what he described as a "fantastic speed." Arnold's report set off...

BAHRAIN (July 15, 2008) — Coalition warships operating in the Gulf region have seized 23 tons of narcotics, which could have been used to fund the insurgency in Afghanistan. The British warships involved were frigates HMS Chatham and HMS Montrose, and the destroyer HMS Edinburgh. They were supported by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary helicopter support ship Argus and her embarked Sea King aircraft.Sailors and Royal Marines from the ships discovered hidden drugs in vessels along the so-called "Hash Highway," and often operated in the most unpleasant of conditions. The narcotics they seized included hashish, opiates, cocaine and amphetamines. "The scourge...

As President George W. Bush considers repealing a ban on drilling off most of the coast of the United States, a shortage of ships used for such drilling promises to impede any rapid turnaround in oil exploration. Slow growth in oil supplies, at a time of soaring demand, has been a major factor in the spike in oil and gasoline prices. In recent years, a global shortage of drill ships has created a critical bottleneck, frustrating energy company executives and constraining their ability to exploit known reserves or find new ones. As oil trades at more than $135 a barrel...

US researchers say they have developed an effective way to kill unwanted plants and animals that hitch a ride in the ballast waters of cargo vessels. Tests showed that a continuous microwave system was able to remove all marine life within the water tanks. The UN lists "invasive species" dispersed by ballast water discharges as one of the four main threats to the world's marine ecosystems. The findings will appear in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. Shipping moves more than 80% of the world's commodities and transfers up to five billion tonnes of ballast water internationally each year, data...

We’ve been hearing rumblings about the U.S. Navy’s triple-hulled ships, but here’s one that was launched last month, the U.S.S Independence. Built by General Dynamics, it’s called a “littoral combat ship” (LCS), and the trimaran can move huge weapons around faster than any ship in the Navy. Ironic that with all that high tech built in, the ship reminds us of the Merrimac ironclad from Civil War days. Littoral means close to shore, and that’s where these fleet-hulled babies will operate, tailor-made for launching helicopters and armored vehicles, sweeping mines and firing all manner of torpedoes, missiles and machine guns....

Titanic, left, and Olympic sat next to one another in a double gantry in the last photo of the two together, weeks before Olympic set sail Researchers have discovered that the builder of the Titanic struggled for years to obtain enough good rivets and riveters and ultimately settled on faulty materials that doomed the ship, which sank 96 years ago Tuesday. The builder’s own archives, two scientists say, harbor evidence of a deadly mix of low quality rivets and lofty ambition as the builder labored to construct the three biggest ships in the world at once — the Titanic...

WASHINGTON - The Environmental Protection Agency is announcing strong new pollution controls on the nation's locomotives, ships and passenger ferries. They will have to cut soot by 90 percent and smog-causing chemical releases by 80 percent over the next six to seven years through technology improvements in locomotive and ship diesel engines. Those engines often operate for decades. The pollution improvements would be required of new engines as well as old when they are overhauled. The Associated Press has learned that EPA will announce the new requirements Friday in Washington. These requirements would be in addition to regulations already in...

Two New Navy Ships USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76) Seeing it next to the Arizona Memorial really puts its size into perspective... ENORMOUS. BEAUTIFUL! When the Bridge pipes "Man the Rail" there is a lot of rail to man on this monster: shoulder to shoulder, around 4.5 acres. Her displacement is about 100,000 tons with full complement. Capability Top speed exceeds 30 knots, powered by two nuclear reactors that can operate for more than 20 years without refueling. 1. Expected to operate in the fleet for about 50 years. 2. Carries over 80 combat aircraft. 3. Three arresting cables can...

PORT KAVKAZ, Russia (AFP) - Hundreds of Russian soldiers were deployed on Tuesday to clean up a 2,000-tonne oil spill in environmentally sensitive waters caused by a fierce Black Sea storm that wrecked five ships.

Looks like liberals can't decide which is more important ... saving wild animals or the environment. The White House proposed a federal rule requiring ships to reduce speed when coming into U.S. ports. This is supposed to help the ships avoid collisions with endangered whales. Here's the dilemma. Now we know why they're endangered. They can't even get out of the way of a ship! International shipping companies say this is ridiculous and will cost them a lot of money – $100 million to $150 million a year in lost time and increased fuel consumption. That's right ... more fuel...

Majestic America Line Announces Farewell Celebration Throughout 2008 for the Legendary Delta Queen. Congress has decided not to enact legislation to grant the historic ship a statutory exemption; Ship will continue sailings through November 2008. Click on link above for full press release.

Canadian Coastguard icebreakers are smashing through a massive expanse of pack ice to try to free about 100 sealing vessels stuck off Newfoundland's northeast coast. According to officials about 15 vessels are in danger of having ice pierce their hulls.Seal ship stranded

MADRID, Spain - Spain wants ships to slow down and watch out for whales while passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, one of the world's busiest maritime routes. The recommendation drew praise Saturday from environmentalists who sought the measure for years to prevent collisions with whales. Fast ferries, especially, can be a threat to endangered sperm whales, which come to the strait from the Mediterranean to feed between February and July. The whales "do not know what is going on around them," said Katharina Heyer, president of the Foundation for Information and Research on Marine Mammals, an environmental group based...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2007 – Operation Homefront is encouraging Americans to have a heart and “Share the Love” with a servicemember or military family this Valentine’s Day through its “eCarePackages.org” program. A Navy medical unit serving a Marine regiment in Iraq shows off boxes they received through eCarePackages. An Operation Homefront program, eCarePackages allows civilians to send boxes to troops through an operationally secure Web site. The program also is available for servicemembers and family members wanting to treat their loved ones. Courtesy photo  '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Operation Homefront is a member of America Supports You,...

THE Royal Navy has warned merchant ships in the Gulf to be on their guard after an al-Qaeda threat to target oil terminals in the area.Coalition naval forces in the area have been put on watch for possible terror threats to oil facilities in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, officials said. A Royal Navy official said the threat had resulted in increased security and vigilance at Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura terminal, as well as at a refinery in Bahrain. But oil exports were proceeding as normal, he said. The Royal Navy, part of the Italian-led Coalition Task Force 152 that patrols...

The United States, concerned about North Korea, will double to six by the end of the year the number of its ships in the Pacific capable of shooting down enemy ballistic missiles, the head of the Pentagon missile-defense project involved said on Wednesday. "I think it gives the nation more options," Rear Adm. Alan Hicks, program manager for Aegis ballistic missile defense, told reporters here after speaking to a conference on the fledgling U.S. shield. In coming years, a growing number of ship-based interceptor missiles will be deployed on 18 Aegis cruisers and destroyers as part of a multibillion-dollar U.S....

Royal Navy ships head for Lebanon HMS Illustrious is currently in Gibraltar Defence Secretary Des Browne has given orders for HMS Illustrious and HMS Bulwark to "make ready" for operations off Lebanon. The pair will depart as soon as necessary, possibly within 24 hours. No order for evacuating UK citizens has yet been given, but ministers and defence staff are considering a plan to evacuate those trapped in Lebanon. It comes as Israel has stepped up its strikes in Lebanon after Hezbollah militants seized two Israeli soldiers. 'Contingency planning' HMS Illustrious is currently in Gibraltar and HMS Bulwark is close...

I always lurk on these computer-help threads because they're so informative and downright useful. But this is my first request. My dear lady friend drives long-haul OTR and wanted me to help her with using a laptop logged on the net and without trailing a 3,000 mile cable.So we got a new lap top (a Dell that comes with a "wireless" card.)The question is: What do we need to do to enable (what kind of) wireless link from a mobile (tractor-trailer or a boat/ship) unit to the internet?

Trenton deal close to being sealed Shiv AroorPosted online: Wednesday, June 28, 2006 NEW DELHI, JUNE 27:As the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal comes up at Capitol Hill, back home, another deal is getting close to being sealed. It is New Delhi’s acquisition of the USS Trenton, an American amphibious warship which was offered to the Indian Navy last year. With Washington’s crucial letter of acceptance (LoA) in, South Block is set to close the deal by early next month. The warship, currently undergoing a complete refit at Norfolk, Virginia, and capable of carrying close to 1,500 personnel, will be delivered...

NEW YORK (NNS) -- The 19th New York City Fleet Week came to a close May 31, as Sailors and Marines left New York City in their wake, headed for their next destination. While visiting the ‘Big Apple,’ Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen participated in community service events, sports competitions, military demonstrations and Memorial Day remembrances in all five boroughs. “I’m just impressed by the good, positive attitudes and willingness to work that the young Sailors express,” commented Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Paul Ablaza, a Reservist with Naval Security Forces, Naval Weapons Station Earle, Colts Neck, N.J. “Seeing the dedication of...

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2006 – Officials at U.S. Transportation Command headquarters at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., call themselves the "ing" command, because they're always supporting other commands. They call the geographic combatant commands the "ed" commands, because they're the ones supported, Air Force Command Chief Master Sgt. Kenneth J. McQuiston, the command's senior enlisted leader, told his peers from the "ed" commands here today. Senior enlisted leaders from combatant commands and the service senior enlisted advisors and their spouses are meeting in the Pentagon this week at the invitation of Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted...

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2006 – When the USS James E. Williams sets sail from Norfolk, Va., tomorrow, it will be a special moment for the family of a top Army noncommissioned officer. Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. "Joe" Gainey poses in his Pentagon office next to a portrait of his cousin, James E. Williams, a Medal of Honor recipient and the most decorated sailor in Navy history. A ship named for Williams, the USS James E. Williams, sets sail on its maiden voyage from Norfolk, Va., May 2. Photo by Kathleen T. Rhem  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image...

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy announced April 27 that the first four Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) will be homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif. Key in the success of implementing these new concepts is the ability to colocate these ships to achieve readiness alignment and economy of scale. This colocation is especially important for the first ships in the class as waterfront facilities, infrastructure, training and maintenance efficiencies are developed. San Diego was chosen as the initial homeport because of the Navy’s increased emphasis on the Pacific theater based on the Quadrennial Defense Review. “Homeporting the first four ships...

MANAMA, Bahrain, April 25, 2006 – Making a coalition work is not an easy job. But the Friendly Forces Coordination Cell at U.S. Naval Forces Central Command here builds on more than 60 years of working with allies. The cell has 15 liaison officers from coalition partners whose job it is to coordinate and integrate their countries' naval forces contributions to the maritime element of the war on terror, U.S. Navy Capt. Steve Gabriele, the director of the office, said. Based here, the office serves as a focal point for queries, answers and coordination among many different aspects of the...

WASHINGTON -- While conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have drained American ground forces of personnel, equipment and cash, the U.S. Navy has quietly cruised ahead with a multibillion-dollar plan to build 30 new ships, despite years of controversial overspending and a one-time $2.7 billion shipbuilding price spike due to Hurricane Katrina damage. The plan envisions annual spending of about $13.5 billion to expand the fleet to 313 ships, including the stealthy DDX destroyer and smaller littoral combat ships to support military operations along coastal waterways. The Navy now has 281 ships, with some due to come on line and others...

FASLANE, Scotland (NNS) -- Three ships led by Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 24 departed Faslane, Scotland, March 11, having completed Neptune Warrior, a coalition course off the coast of Scotland with ships from the United Kingdom and Germany and aircraft from France. Capt. Carl W. Cramb, commander, DESRON 24, led the three ships, USS Ross (DDG 71), USS Barry (DDG 52), and USS Elrod (FFG 55), during their transit to Scotland and then commanded one of the international Task Groups during Neptune Warrior. Joint Maritime Operational Training Staff (JMOTS) Northwood in the United Kingdom led the Neptune Warrior course. The...

Ship operators who reduce pollution by observing a speed limit while entering the Port of Long Beach will be rewarded with lower dockage rates. The reduced dockage rates are part of the port's Green Flag Incentive Program, an annual $2.2 million clean air initiative that provides financial incentives and recognition to those who voluntarily reduce their speeds. The tariff reduction plan was approved Monday by the Board of Harbor Commissioners. Under the program, carriers will qualify for a 15 percent discounted Green Flag dockage rate during the following year if 90 percent of their vessels comply with a 12-knot speed...

FASLANE, Scotland (NNS) -- Three U.S. ships, led by Commander, Destroyer Squadron (COMDESRON) 24 arrived in Faslane, Scotland, to participate in a coalition course with ships from the United Kingdom, Germany and Denmark, Feb. 23. Capt. Carl W. Cramb, commander, DESRON 24, embarked on USS Ross (DDG 71), will lead one side’s maritime component during the course, including ships from Germany, the United Kingdom and USS Elrod (FFG 55). The second maritime component will be led by the commanding officer of HMS Edinburgh (D97), a destroyer from the United Kingdom, and will also include USS Barry (DDG 52). “The staff...

UMATILLA COUNTY, Oregon — Umatilla County Sheriff John Trumbo didn’t expect a reply from the Mexican government, but he is surprised by all the national attention he’s received for a bill he sent to the country’s president. Trumbo sent a letter to Mexican President Vicente Fox recently asking for $318,843, the amount he says it cost his county to jail 360 illegal immigrants last year for offenses ranging from domestic violence to murder. “I didn’t expect this to be as big as it has gotten,” Trumbo said Friday. “I’m finding all over that people are just tired of it. They’re...

EXCLUSIVE Don't Dare mess with us Awesome ... Sun man on supershipPictures: PAUL EDWARDS       By TOM NEWTON DUNN Defence Editor THIS is the deadliest ship ever built — the Navy’s awesome new Type 45 destroyer. HMS Daring boasts an extraordinary array of firepower. And The Sun was given an exclusive tour of the state-of-the art warship. Daring is the first of a batch of eight Type 45 destroyers — built at a total cost of £6BILLION. Weighing in at 8,000 tonnes, the 14-deck monster is almost twice the size of the current Type 42s. She is armed...

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The Navy is surging three ships Jan. 24 and 25 to conduct maritime security operations in support of the global war on terrorism. The amphibious dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51), the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) and the guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69) will deploy with their more than 1,100 Sailors for approximately three months. These ships will work with allies to detect, disrupt, and deny international terrorist organizations the use of the maritime environment. They will also work closely with allies to build regional security and long-term stability....

The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, which typically handles just one aircraft carrier at a time, will be home to three carriers at once this fall, said Navy Capt. Joseph Campbell, the yard's commanding officer. The three carriers make up one-quarter of the nation's flattop fleet and are scheduled to be in the yard simultaneously for several weeks. The USS Harry S. Truman arrived at the yard Jan. 9. It will be joined by the USS Theodore Roosevelt in September and the USS George Washington in October. The Truman is scheduled to depart in November.

Plans to 'top' 9/11 strikes 23/12/2005 20:13  - (SA)   Related Articles Pullout 'will lead to attacks' US at risk for more attacks US had 'bomber' in their hands Why is Osama so quiet?    Rome - Three Algerians arrested in an anti-terrorist operation in southern Italy are suspected of being linked to a planned new series of attacks in the United States, interior minister Giuseppe Pisanu said Friday. The attacks would have targeted ships, stadiums or railway stations in a bid to outdo the September 11 2001 strikes by al-Qaeda in New York and Washington which killed about 2 700 people, Pisanu...

The mainstream U.S. media outlets have failed to report a major terrorist plot against the U.S. - because it would tend to support President Bush's use of NSA domestic surveillance, according to media watchdog groups. News of a planned attack masterminded by three Algerians operating out of Italy was widely reported outside the U.S., but went virtually unreported in the American media. Italian authorities recently announced that they had used wiretaps to uncover the conspiracy to conduct a series of major attacks inside the U.S. Italian Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu said the planned attacks would have targeted stadiums, ships and...

ABOARD USS CLEVELAND, Arabian Sea (NNS) -- Members of Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 1 are currently leading a group of six coalition ships conducting maritime security operations (MSO) in the North Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. The strike group’s flagship, USS Tarawa (LHA 1) and the amphibious transport dock USS Cleveland (LPD 7) are joined by the guided-missile destroyer USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79). The French ships Var (FS 608) and Lafayette (FS 710), and the Pakistani frigate Badr (PNS 181) round out the coalition task group. MSO are part of ESG-1’s regularly scheduled deployment to the U.S. 5th...

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Somali pirates attacked five ships in the past week in a sharp rise of banditry apparently directed from a mysterious "mother ship" prowling the busy Indian Ocean corridor, shipping experts said on Friday. ADVERTISEMENT ZIP code where you park at night: Do you currently have auto insurance? Yes No Have you had a U.S. driver's license for more than 3 years? Yes No Has any driver in your household had 2 or more accidents or moving violations in the last 3 years? Yes No Most vessels escaped, but one was commandeered, bringing to seven the number of...

LONDON, October 17 (IranMania) -With just hundreds of meters setting them apart, US ships guarding Iraqi oil terminals and Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats stare at each other across the waters of the northern Persian Gulf. The maritime zone lying at the edge of Kuwait's, Iraq's and Iran's territorial waters makes for "a fairly heady cocktail," said Captain Adrian Bell, commander of HMS Campbeltown, a British frigate which is part of the coalition naval group patrolling the area. Hence, caution is the order of the day for the seven or eight, mostly American, ships making up the naval force and currently...

NAVAL STATION INGLESIDE, Texas (NNS) -- Mine warfare ships based here are prepared to deploy in support of Hurricane Rita disaster recovery efforts. USS Gladiator (MCM 11), USS Avenger (MCM 1) and USS Pioneer (MCM 9) are conducting unit level training and sonar calibration operations in the Gulf of Mexico. These ships are on standby to conduct survey operations of the Galveston and Houston safety fairways to help determine if they are free of any storm-related debris and to ensure the safety of deep-draft traffic transit. “We are looking forward to supporting Hurricane Rita recovery efforts,” said Capt. Jonathan Tobias,...

09/23/2005 China Preparing For War And Few Notice by By Chuck Baldwin Constitution Party 2004 Vice-Presidential Candidate Ever since President Richard Nixon entered into détente with the communist regime in China, America has doggedly assisted in the commercial and military buildup of the Marxist nation. Both Republican and Democratic administrations have mollycoddled the Red Chinese to the point that now they have grown big enough to cause serious concern. Both Bill Clinton and G.W. Bush have facilitated the transfers of billions of dollars of commercial assistance to Red China, not to mention vast amounts of technology which China has used...

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41) are making preparations to get underway Sept. 1 for areas off the U.S. Gulf Coast in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) relief operations associated with Hurricane Katrina. Truman will serve as the command center and afloat staging base, and will carry additional helicopters from Naval Air Station Jacksonville to support search and rescue (SAR) efforts. Whidbey Island will bring with it the capability to employ a movable causeway to the region. The Navy's involvement in the humanitarian assistance...

NORFOLK – Three amphibious ships and a rescue and salvage vessel began leaving port today in a race to the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina, bringing everything from baby formula to bulldozers to desperate Americans. "We told the crews we’ve got a disaster of proportions that we’ve never seen before," Capt. Sinclair M. Harris, commodore of Amphibious Squadron Four, said in the pre-dawn darkness as his ships loaded relief supplies. "We’ve got American citizens who have been harmed, and we just need to get there." The amphibious assault ship Iwo Jima, the dock landing ship Tortuga, the amphibious transport dock...

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Three amphibious ships and a rescue and salvage ship based in Hampton Roads are getting underway Aug. 31 and heading for the Gulf of Mexico to support relief operations along the U.S. Gulf Coast following widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. The multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) and the amphibious transport dock USS Shreveport (LPD 12), both based at Naval Station Norfolk; the dock landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46) and the rescue and salvage ship USS Grapple (ARS 53), both based at Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Little Creek, Va., will join...

NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va., Aug. 29, 2005 – USS Saipan, USS Nashville and USS Nicholas returned to Naval Station Norfolk Aug. 25 from a three-month “surge” deployment. The ships surged May 25 under the Navy’s Fleet Response Plan. The Navy developed FRP to find new ways of operating, training, manning and maintaining the fleet so as to improve combat power and readiness, particularly in the ongoing battle against terrorism. Unlike most ships, these three deployed with less than two months to prepare, but the sailors on board understood why, said Vice Adm. Mark Fitzgerald, Commander U.S. 2nd Fleet, at the...

Marines, Navy SEALs forge new special operations team An exclusive interview with U.S. Navy SEAL Commander Mark Divine A WORLD DEFENSE REVIEW Q&A By W. Thomas Smith Jr. A brand-new Marine Corps special operations force is a project that has been in the conception and experimental stages since the terrorist attacks of 9/11. It became an operational test unit following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and its official existence is now pending only the signature of U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. But few insiders are talking about it, and for a variety of reasons. ...

ISTANBUL (AFP) - Turkish police have detained 10 people suspected of links to the Al-Qaeda extremist network and of plotting attacks on Israeli cruise ships in southern Turkey, security sources said. The suspects, one of them a Syrian, were detained several days ago in the Mediterranean province of Antalya, home to some of Turkey's most popular resorts, which attract millions of foreign tourists each year, said the sources, who requested anonymity. They were believed to be planning to attack Israeli cruise ships on behalf of Al-Qaeda, they said. Israel's counter-terrorism unit Monday warned Israeli holidaymakers to avoid a strip of...

The city of Tacoma is celebrating Tall Ships 2005 this Fourth of July weekend. Around 125,000 people greeted the arriving ships Thursday at the Tall Ships Tacoma Parade of Sail, said Tacoma police. The festival at Foss Waterway officially opened yesterday and ends Tuesday. All the tall ships will be open for public tours until Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. while tickets last. The festival also includes live entertainment, food and arts and entertainment. A pass for the ships and the festival costs $10 per day. Children under 10 are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased at the...

On 11 occasions over the past nine months, the U.S. and allies cooperating in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) have successfully prevented the spread of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons or related items. At least two of those incidents involved Iran, two involved North Korea and another involved an unidentified third country, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher confirmed. Tuesday marked the second anniversary of the PSI, a project launched by President Bush during a 2003 visit to Krakow, Poland. With a focus on stopping and searching ships, planes, trains or trucks, the PSI aims to prevent terrorists and rogue states...

COST-BENEFIT: It would take dozens of Chinese jets to sink a Kidd Class destroyer, according to the results of a computer simulation carried out by the defense ministry. By Jimmy ChuangSTAFF REPORTERWednesday, Apr 27, 2005,Page 2 Rear Admiral Lee Hao, director of the Ministry of National Defense's Joint Warfare Exercise Center, explains the results of a computer simulation ahead of the annual Han Kuang military exercise during a press conference yesterday morning. PHOTO: CHIEN JUNG-FENG, TAIPEI TIMES The nation's Kidd-class destroyers can be sunk by the Chinese air force, the Ministry of National Defense said while officials made public the...

SECURITY chiefs fear Al-Qaeda terrorists trained as scuba divers could mount attacks against a royal review of the fleet being held to mark the 200th anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar. A senior Ministry of Defence (MoD) police officer has disclosed that militants using techniques learnt in western diving schools to attack Royal Navy ships are considered the main threat to the event. Officials fear Al-Qaeda divers could attach bombs to the hulls of the ships, detonate explosives strapped to their bodies in suicide attacks or even board vessels and kill some of those on board. The Queen, in her...

NEW YORK -- Four luxurious passenger ships, including the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Elizabeth 2, will abandon Manhattan's Hudson River piers and begin docking in Brooklyn next year. Carnival Corp. will move the berths of the four ships to a huge pier the city is redeveloping in the Red Hook section, city and company officials said. The city hopes the shift will create thousands of jobs, spur retail and tourist-industry development and breathe new life into what was once a bleak warehouse district, and bring 250,000 more passengers to the city each year on top of the...