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Rampant smuggling of Australian rock lobsters into mainland China is a national security threat, Hong Kong's new customs chief said on Thursday (Oct 21), as she vowed to crack down on the trade. Lobsters are one of a number of products from Australia that China has restricted imports of as relations between the countries plunged. But they remain a prized and much sought-after delicacy in mainland China. Imports of Australian rock lobsters to Hong Kong - which maintains no restrictions on the crustaceans - have since skyrocketed, with suspicions that the vast majority end up on mainland tables. Louise Ho...

American B-52s, the massive strategic bombers, arrived in the Middle East on Saturday. They are part of the Fifth Bomb Wing at Minot AFB in North Dakota. These veteran, giant aircraft were last deployed in the region in May 2019 and the US Central Command says they are here to “deter aggression and reassure US partners and allies.” The B-52s have been sent to the region as the US appears to be drawing down forces in Iraq. The Pentagon has said that hundreds of troops are leaving Iraq and Afghanistan. As the US seeks to end twenty years of involvement...

In what could be a landmark in the Middle East’s history, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Saudi Arabia on Sunday to meet the country’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Israeli media reported. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, currently on a tour of the region, was also reportedly present at the meeting in Neom, Saudi Arabia. Netanyahu was accompanied by the head of Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, Yossi Cohen, who is widely regarded to have played a key role in preparing the groundwork for the recent normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and the Arab Gulf states, news...

The U.S. military deployed B-52 bombers to the Middle East Saturday, just days after the Trump administration announced a partial withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan and Iraq. U.S. Central Command said the U.S. Air Force B-52H “Stratofortress” aircrews conducted the mission on "short notice" to "deter aggression and reassure U.S. partners and allies."“The ability to quickly move forces into, out of and around the theater to seize, retain and exploit the initiative is key to deterring potential aggression," said Lt. Gen. Greg Guillot, 9th Air Force commander."These missions help bomber aircrews gain familiarity with the region’s airspace and command,...

Planned Parenthood is harnessing star power in a new effort to advertise abortion. But with its straw-man messaging, Planned Parenthood and its celebrity PR team are only preaching to their choir. They’re not converting anyone. On August 26, Planned Parenthood announced that it had collected the signatures of nearly 140 musicians as part of its latest campaign for abortion called “Bans Off My Body.” To boast about its supporters, the nation’s largest abortion provider purchased an ad listing the artists – from Lady Gaga to Ariana Grande – in Billboard magazine. Planned Parenthood began its campaign in June in response...

The Pentagon is preparing for a longer bombardment of Syria than it originally had planned, with a heavy barrage of missile strikes followed soon after by more attacks on targets that the opening salvos missed or failed to destroy, officials said. The planning for intense attacks over a three-day period reflects the growing belief in the White House and the Pentagon that the United States needs more firepower to inflict even minimal damage on Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces, which have been widely dispersed over the last two weeks, the officials said.

Musicians Ozzy Osbourne, Stevie Nicks, Ted Nugent, Steve Winwood, Robert Plant, Kenny Loggins, Glenn Frey, Alice Cooper, Tony Iommi, Chris Squire, James Taylor, Todd Rundgren, Jackson Browne, Olivia Newton-John, Donna Summer, John Bonham (R.I.P.) & Rick James (R.I.P.)

The Air Force's fleet of B-52s, the nation's oldest active-duty aircraft, was certified Wednesday as the first that can use one of the Air Force's newest innovations: a cleaner-burning, domestically produced synthetic fuel blend. The certification is the culmination of a year-long test program conducted at Edwards, which was visited Wednesday by Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne to thank and congratulate the engineers, pilots and others who worked on the project. "This is a great day for the United States Air Force," Wynne said, "And another milestone for the Flight Test Center." Wynne called the B-52 fleet's certification "the tip...

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Joshua Wortley, 40th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, replaces a B-52 generator. Wortley is deployed from Barksdale AFB, La., in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. John Rohrer Air Force Crew Keeps Aging B-52s Airborne U.S. airmen assigned to the 40th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron keep the aging B-52s airborne, a task vital to the success of Operation Enduring Freedom. By U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Scott King 40th Air Expeditionary Group OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, May 3, 2006 — Thirty thousand feet above Afghan terrain, the U.S. Air Force B-52’s...

A U.S. Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker refuels a B-52 Stratofortress on a mission in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, March 13, 2006. The B-52 provides close air support for ground troops in Afganistan. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Douglas Nicodemus Aircrews Refuel B-52s in Flight for the Fight In six short weeks, KC-135s here have delivered more than 11 million pounds of fuel to B-52s that have flown forward into Afghan airspace providing close air support for U.S. and coalition forces on the ground. By U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Scott King OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, March 17,...

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." (Matthew 5:38-42, NIV). "But I say...

I am thinking that because my mother is Catholic and my father is Jewish, that it should be okay for me to eat lobster as long as it is boiled in holy water. Do you agree with this?

<p>ON Saturday, Iranian agents ambushed an American convoy on the road between Mosul and Akre in Iraq. The attack did not go as planned: Our troops responded sharply, killing two Iranians, wounding a third and capturing two more.</p> <p>They were carrying their identity documents.</p>

Baghdad hit; Powell warns Syria Coalition aircraft once again bombed Baghdad in an operation that Central Command called "historic," fighting in An Najaf and An Samana killed some 100 Iraqi troops, and the United States once again warned Syria to cease supporting Saddam Hussein or face the "consequences." The overnight bombing of Baghdad targeted the Ministry of Information with a Tomahawk Land Attack Munition, CENTCOM said. It said the hit would reduce Saddam's "command and control capabilities." "The strike enhances the security of coalition forces conducting operations across Iraq," it said. In a news release headlined "Historic Bomber Package Strikes...

IT SEEMED a strange moment for a killing. Around us, the undulating desert was enjoying its brief spring window of colour as scarlet poppies blazed across the banks of shallow streams. “Kinda like California,” one of the special forces soldiers noted. In heat-rippling air, hawks banked in search of quarry. They were not alone in the skies for long. The US special forces team had arrived that morning, pushing forward to the new front line about 13 miles southeast of Kirkuk. Iraqi forces had abandoned their positions as far as this point two days earlier as part of a planned...

With its combination of long range, high speed and large weapons payload, the B-1 bomber is proving to be a valuable asset during the air campaign over Iraq, according to members of the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing who fly the aircraft. The B-1 has demonstrated its flexibility by flying a number of missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom, members of the 405th AEW said during a Pentagon teleconference with reporters this week."We are hitting a wide range of targets," wing commander Col. James Kowalski said March 25 from an undisclosed location in the Central Command area of responsibility. "[We're hitting] suppression...

New Air Force Missile Passes Final Test .c The Associated Press EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AP) - A new, low-cost cruise missile flew through a window and destroyed a two-story test house in its final test flight this week, clearing the way for possible use in Iraq, an Air Force official said Friday. The Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, or JASSM, next is scheduled for operational tests before going to combat units in September, but it could get to them much sooner, said Gerry Freisthler, lethal strike program director for the Air Armament Center here. The missiles are manufactured in...

...U.S. military officials said the convoy leaving Baghdad consisted of 1,000 vehicles that were believed to contain fighters hoping to reinforce Iraqi forces engaging U.S. troops near Najaf. The movement was detected about 4 p.m. (8 a.m. EST). "Something big and metal is moving," one radio operator reported. About two hours later, U.S. jets began bombing the front of the convoy after receiving confirmation that the column carried militiamen. Eventually, B-52s flew over, dropping 500-pound bombs every 500 meters along the length of the convoy. The casualty total was not immediately known, but the attack appeared to add significantly to...

A B-52 bomber took off from RAF Fairford in western England at 0337GMT on Wednesday, indicating that more bombing raids on the Iraqi capital could be imminent.

Armed B-52 bomber takes off from UK airfield -TV LONDON, March 26 (Reuters) - An armed American B-52 bomber took off from an airbase in southwest England on Wednesday. Sky News television showed the bomber, which can carry a massive payload of bombs and up to 20 cruise missiles, lifting off from the Fairford airbase in Gloucestershire shortly before 2:00 p.m. (1400 GMT). There are 14 B-52s based at Fairford. The planes, which take about six hours to reach the Gulf, have already taken part in several air attacks on Iraq.