Author: Curtis Harrera

The U.S. is sending Taiwan $345 million in security assistance as part of a long-awaited aid package meant to help the island defend itself from a potential invasion by China. The announcement from the White House on Friday said the aid, going to Taiwan as part of a drawdown from existing U.S. weapons stocks, will include “defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training.” Speaking in Brisbane, Australia, on Saturday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized the defensive nature of the weapons and systems included in the package and said it should not be…

The United States will work to ensure full restoration of constitutional order in Niger after the military takeover, the secretary of state, Antony Blinken, told the ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, in a phone call late on Friday, offering him his “unflagging support”. The US is communicating with “a broad array” military leader in Niger, the state department said, after coup leaders declared Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani – the Nigerien military leader behind the detention of the country’s democratically elected president – the new head of state. Tchiani, the head of the presidential guard since 2011, appeared on state television on Friday, saying he was the…

Once the desert sun has set, the Arizona city becomes a stage for some unmissable stargazing. Pitch up for an after-dark picnic and see why Scottsdale is the ultimate destination for astronomers. Fairy lights are strung across the hotel lawn, framed by giant saguaro cacti. Ordinarily it’d be a pretty sight, but tonight, the lights are switched off. Instead, three large telescopes, one wired to a computer, are arranged across the grass at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale to face the inky depths of the endless night sky. I’ve come to meet Mark Johnston — ‘azastroguy’ on Instagram — for a stargazing…

An anti-inflammatory diet consists of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, nuts, seeds and healthy fat and is thought to aid in reducing the risk of disease associated with chronic inflammation. Even though you may be familiar with the term anti-inflammatory diet, there’s a lot to learn about inflammation, including what causes it and how factors like diet can either help reduce inflammation or make it worse. What is Inflammation? There are two different types of inflammation—acute (short-term) inflammation and chronic (long-term) inflammation. Acute inflammation is how your body protects itself when you’re sick or injured. This type of inflammation resolves once the “threat,”…

EAGAN, Minn. — The NFL finally forced Thursday night flex scheduling into its broadcast window. Let’s hope the league never has to use it. On Monday, 24 owners voted in favor of a scheduling mechanism by which the league will be able to flex into (or out of) “Thursday Night Football” games. The games are limited only to Weeks 13-17, the decision must be made no later than 28 days in advance of the game, there’s a maximum of two Thursday night games that can be flexed out of the five options and, of course, the game has to warrant being flexed…

Chevron Corp. said Monday that it will acquire Denver-based PDC Energy in an all-stock transaction valued at $6.3 billion, adding to its oil and gas holdings in the Denver-Julesburg and Permian basins. The deal will net Chevron 275,000 acres next to its existing operations in the Denver-Julesburg Basin in eastern Colorado and more than 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent. Chevron will acquire 25,000 additional acres in the prolific oil fields of the Permian in West Texas and New Mexico. Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth said in a statement that PDC’s assets will strengthen Chevron’s position in key U.S.…

With the leaders of the United States, Britain and Australia officially announcing the implementation roadmap of the “Ocus” agreement, Australia, with the support of the United States and Britain, owns and builds its own attack The nuclear submarine plan entered the formal implementation stage. Last Thursday, the US State Department approved the sale of 220 newest models of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Australia. The United States is desperately arming the “deputy sheriff” of Australia. What resources does the United States take a fancy to? Selling “Tomahawk” to equip nuclear submarines Shortly after the United States, Britain and Australia announced the detailed nuclear…

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Monday on a case that focuses on water access for the Navajo Nation but could impact battles for the resource across the West. For 20 years, the Navajo Nation’s fight for water has been circulating through lower courts. The foundation of the case reaches back more than 150 years, involving the treaties that established the reservation, decades of court decisions and the United States’ legal responsibilities to the Navajo Nation. The state of Colorado and other tribes, including those with reservation land in Colorado, are keeping a watchful eye on the outcome. “The United…

Foreign Minister Penny Wong insists Kevin Rudd understands his obligations as ambassador to the United States after being quizzed about his recent commentary on the AUKUS security pact and America’s treatment of allies. Wong has also defended a controversial speech she gave in the United Kingdom last month in which she called on the nation to face up to the uncomfortable reality of its colonial past. Rudd, who will take up the Washington posting in March, said last month that America needed to stop throwing its allies “under a bus” if it wanted to counter China’s economic influence in the Asia-Pacific. In a Senate estimates…

This is part 4 of a 4-part special report on the trilateral agreement known as AUKUS — Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.Much of the focus of the Australia-United Kingdom-United States partnership, or AUKUS, is on nuclear-powered submarines. However, the agreement’s other lines of effort to produce joint advanced military capabilities could prove just as significant. In particular, the effort to develop and integrate quantum technologies could give the three countries a major capability for the future, particularly in a potential Indo-Pacific conflict, experts said. Within the partnership, the three countries have formed the AUKUS Quantum Arrangement, which…