Latest news with #SpecialForces
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chechen leader says Putin congratulated him on son's wedding
(Reuters) -The head of Russia's Caucasus region of Chechnya, a fervent supporter of Moscow's war in Ukraine, said Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin telephoned him on Saturday to congratulate him on his son's wedding. Ramzan Kadyrov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said Putin "personally congratulated me ... on this important event and offered his warmest words of congratulation." Kadyrov said he was particularly touched that Putin had found the time to call "despite being so colossally busy with matters of state. This is a very dear thing." Kadyrov has led Chechnya, a mountainous Muslim region in southern Russia that tried to break away from Moscow in wars that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, since 2007. He has sent large contingents of troops to boost Russian ranks in the 40-month-old war against Ukraine and in the conflict's early stages commented frequently on events on the battlefield. His son, Adam, who turns 18 in November, already holds several positions in the region's security structures. Reports from the region said he was appointed secretary of Chechnya's security council in April. He also serves as his father's top bodyguard, a trustee of Chechnya's Special Forces University, and an observer in a new army battalion.
The Age
3 days ago
- General
- The Age
From battle to Bunnings: How an ex-SAS soldier and City Beach dad builds resilience
In this series, WAtoday reaches out to the Perth community to discover three things people love most about our coastal capital. Today we feature City Beach's Tim Curtis, MBA, former Special Forces officer, crisis management executive, co-author of 2021's The Resilience Shield, co-host of The Unforgiving60 podcast, and father of three. He has led businesses and cross-cultural teams in some of the world's most challenging and austere environments. His new book, Building Resilient Kids, published July 1 by Macmillan, focuses on helping children become happy, healthy and confident adults. I love Innaloo Bunnings. I'm ex-SAS, and I call Bunnings a family mission. You have never been tested as until you've taken three kids to Bunnings, it's the SAS survival course meets a close-quarters battle. Have you heard of the four Ds of time management? Well this is another four Ds: the Danger of the paint aisle, the Distraction of the sausage sizzle and the Delusion – of thinking you'd get out in five minutes, or you just needed one thing. Cue the kids loading up the trolley with a pile of things you don't need. And the fourth D, of course, is the family dog. The Innaloo Bunnings is mainly good for its proximity to me, but it's also got a really good plant section; I'm geeking out about all things gardening, I'm now spending more time in the garden section than the warehouse. I love City Beach. It's where I've taught my kids to get through the turbulence of the waves, providing a bit of a metaphor for life; when it comes to building resilient kids you have to be a bit like a lifeguard, and not prevent the swimming – just the drowning. All my kids have learnt their surfing skills with the Floreat Nippers and it is resilience training disguised as fun; watching them get knocked over and back up was inspiring. We always go to City Beach on Christmas morning and meet the extended group of friends we met through the kids' schooling. Every year, it's a special few hours we spend together and embodies the philosophy that it takes a village to make a resilient kid. Those adults all have great relationships with my kids, and they can change the angle and the prism on things that their parents would have, which has a big impact, especially in the teen years. I love running the two bridges at sunrise. The one thing we know adults must do to build resilient kids is to build it in themselves – to model resilience, to be the best version of themselves. A precious time to do that is running the two bridges in the city at dawn, where effort and exhalation meets stillness. The calm river, the rising sun over the hills, the rowers on the water – it's all quite meditative, and you feel you're ahead in life whatever else happens that day. You've experienced all these moments, no matter what might hit you for six later on that day. People might say they have to exercise, but it's important to recognise that it's a privilege to exercise. And it doesn't have to be effort, effort, more effort, or a heroic distance or time. It's just being able to do small things, in such a special time and place. Loading
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
From battle to Bunnings: How an ex-SAS soldier and City Beach dad builds resilience
In this series, WAtoday reaches out to the Perth community to discover three things people love most about our coastal capital. Today we feature City Beach's Tim Curtis, MBA, former Special Forces officer, crisis management executive, co-author of 2021's The Resilience Shield, co-host of The Unforgiving60 podcast, and father of three. He has led businesses and cross-cultural teams in some of the world's most challenging and austere environments. His new book, Building Resilient Kids, published July 1 by Macmillan, focuses on helping children become happy, healthy and confident adults. I love Innaloo Bunnings. I'm ex-SAS, and I call Bunnings a family mission. You have never been tested as until you've taken three kids to Bunnings, it's the SAS survival course meets a close-quarters battle. Have you heard of the four Ds of time management? Well this is another four Ds: the Danger of the paint aisle, the Distraction of the sausage sizzle and the Delusion – of thinking you'd get out in five minutes, or you just needed one thing. Cue the kids loading up the trolley with a pile of things you don't need. And the fourth D, of course, is the family dog. The Innaloo Bunnings is mainly good for its proximity to me, but it's also got a really good plant section; I'm geeking out about all things gardening, I'm now spending more time in the garden section than the warehouse. I love City Beach. It's where I've taught my kids to get through the turbulence of the waves, providing a bit of a metaphor for life; when it comes to building resilient kids you have to be a bit like a lifeguard, and not prevent the swimming – just the drowning. All my kids have learnt their surfing skills with the Floreat Nippers and it is resilience training disguised as fun; watching them get knocked over and back up was inspiring. We always go to City Beach on Christmas morning and meet the extended group of friends we met through the kids' schooling. Every year, it's a special few hours we spend together and embodies the philosophy that it takes a village to make a resilient kid. Those adults all have great relationships with my kids, and they can change the angle and the prism on things that their parents would have, which has a big impact, especially in the teen years. I love running the two bridges at sunrise. The one thing we know adults must do to build resilient kids is to build it in themselves – to model resilience, to be the best version of themselves. A precious time to do that is running the two bridges in the city at dawn, where effort and exhalation meets stillness. The calm river, the rising sun over the hills, the rowers on the water – it's all quite meditative, and you feel you're ahead in life whatever else happens that day. You've experienced all these moments, no matter what might hit you for six later on that day. People might say they have to exercise, but it's important to recognise that it's a privilege to exercise. And it doesn't have to be effort, effort, more effort, or a heroic distance or time. It's just being able to do small things, in such a special time and place. Loading
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Stop Labour's betrayal of our SAS heroes: Ex-Special Forces chiefs and MPs demand veterans who battled IRA are protected from prosecution
SAS veterans are being hounded with the threat of prosecution decades after their service thanks to a shameful betrayal by Labour. The Mail today launches a major campaign with ex-Special Forces commanders and senior MPs to protect the soldiers who bravely defended this country. We are demanding that ministers U-turn on their bid to repeal the Tories ' Legacy Act, which shielded Northern Ireland veterans from historical 'witch hunts', or else produce a proper alternative. It comes as former SAS soldiers face possible murder charges after a judge in Northern Ireland ruled that the shooting of four IRA terrorists in 1992 was not justified. Those behind the campaign have warned of a dire threat to national security if this process is permitted to continue. One ex-SAS commanding officer said ministers had to wake up to the need to protect serving and retired personnel from 'this creeping lawfare' or it would prove 'calamitous' by hobbling operations and hitting recruitment. The campaign has already generated £250,000 in fighting funds in a single donation from ex-SAS soldier-turned-entrepreneur Sir Mike Gooley, founder of travel company Trailfinders. A petition on the Parliament website demanding protection for Northern Ireland veterans has, meanwhile, reached 136,290 signatures, meaning a parliamentary debate will be held on July 14. The campaign team includes two former SAS commanding officers and a Regimental Sergeant Major. Other senior soldiers involved in the call for action served in undercover roles and faced being murdered by IRA terrorists every time they deployed. The political dimension of the campaign is being led by Conservative MP Sir David Davis, a former SAS reservist. He said last night: 'What we have seen so far has been a travesty of justice. This is not just about those who served in Northern Ireland. 'It is about giving protection and certainty to the entire Armed Forces family. Our veterans deserve our respect, not relentless legal pursuit decades after the events in question.' At a press conference at the Nato summit in The Hague, the Mail yesterday asked Keir Starmer why he was opening veterans up to a possible legal witch hunt by repealing the legislation. The PM replied: 'I worked in Northern Ireland for five years so I know just how important and significant these issues are. We are in talks and discussions about how we resolve this issue.' SAS veterans have suffered emotional trauma from their hounding by lawyers. This included a suicide attempt by a former Special Forces soldier last year. Former SAS Regimental Sergeant Major George Simm said: 'As a result of these evidence-free accusations, soldiers are realising they have no legal rights. This has to change, out of necessity, for national security reasons. They have never been so exposed. 'On operations, to be compliant with the Human Rights Act, soldiers need their own lawyer on speed dial to advise them if there's a chance they might have to kill someone. The situation is beyond absurd. Soldiers didn't sign up to defend activist judges or a European legal system.' The case at the centre of the campaign involves the 1992 shooting of four IRA terrorists by SAS soldiers in Clonoe, County Tyrone. Following a police investigation and inquiries by the coroner, the RUC concluded at the time that there should be no prosecutions. The soldiers stated their use of lethal force was reasonable due to the threat posed by the IRA. However, last year they were ordered to appear before a new 'legacy inquest'. Coroner Mr Justice Humphreys ruled in February the soldiers' use of force was excessive, despite the terrorists having a heavy machine-gun and other guns. He claimed there was no attempt to arrest the four IRA men and determined, more than 30 years after the incident, that the soldiers should have waited for the IRA gang to disassemble the machine gun. The Ministry of Defence has vowed to challenge his verdict. But in the meantime, files have been passed to the Director of Public Prosecutions in Northern Ireland. This could trigger a criminal investigation. Last night, former SAS CO Aldwin Wight said it was absurd that the soldiers who confronted the IRA at Clonoe 'should have to face the possibility of criminal action based on a subsequent flawed inquest three decades later, under a law that didn't exist in 1992.' He said it 'will prove calamitous for national security. Nobody is going to volunteer to expose themselves to this sort of legal nonsense. 'When are ministers going to wake up to the need to protect serving and retired personnel from this creeping lawfare?' Relatives of the IRA terrorists brought the 'legacy inquest' citing Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the 1998 Human Rights Act. The previous Tory government brought in the Legacy Act to protect Northern Ireland veterans from prosecution and endless investigations. But Labour's manifesto included a pledge to repeal the 'unlawful' Act. The Northern Ireland Office has pledged to replace it 'in a way that is lawful, fair and that enables families, including military families, to find answers'.
UPI
4 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
Mongolia forum explores new paths to peace and development in N.E. Asia
Ribbons tied to a fence offer wishes for reunification of south and north Korea near the DMZ at Imjingak Park in Paju, South Korea (2021). At the recent Track 2.0 discussions on N.E. Asia issues, Col. David Maxwell proposed for Korea a 'unification first, then denuclearization' approach to denuclearization, making Korean reunification the end goal in terms of which all other Korean policy issues are addressed. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo June 25 (UPI) -- New approaches to peace and development in the complex and volatile N.E. Asia region were the focus of an international forum in Mongolia's capital, Ulaanbaatar, that wrapped up yesterday. The Track 2.0 discussions brought together senior policymakers, scholars and civil-society leaders from the United States, China, Russia, Mongolia, South Korea, Japan, India, Australia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. Much of the discussion was closed-door, governed by the Chatham House Rule. UPI was briefed on background by participants. Opening the public session of the forum, ambassador Jargalsaikhan Enkhsaikhan, chair of Blue Banner, an anti-nuclear, environmental NGO, laid out three themes the forum addressed. First was "normalizing relations between the two Koreas that this year are marking the 80th anniversary of liberation from foreign colonial domination." Second was regional economic development and the great untapped potential in that area for strengthening regional stability. Third was the effect of climate change on the region, particularly desertification, with the spread of the Gobi desert, affecting Mongolia, China and North Korea directly and other countries indirectly. The forum discussed opening engagement with North Korea on environmental challenges as that is an area of active concern for the North. Mongolia will host the 2026 Summit on Combating Desertification. Discussions on Korea took place in the context of the U.S. pursuit of the "complete denuclearization" of North Korea, reaffirmed today by the State Department Forum participant Col. David Maxwell -- a former U.S. Special Forces officer who served in Korea and a frequent UPI contributor -- noted "the United States has failed to achieve denuclearization in North Korea for four decades, and a new approach is needed." He proposed a "unification first, then denuclearization" approach, making Korean reunification the end goal in terms of which all other Korean policy issues are addressed. This approach would be pursued through a long-term "Two Plus Three" strategy. Two existing policies, to deter war on the Korean peninsula through maintaining strong alliances and military posture; and preventing North Korean weapons proliferation, cyberattacks and other illicit global activities. The "Plus Three" includes a human-rights upfront approach, holding North Korea to the UN Declaration of Human Rights; an information campaign to educate the people of North Korea as to their rights and the practical knowledge of the world that their government tries to keep from them; and support for regular citizens in both Koreas, to open paths for people-to-people service and cultural projects. The forum has set up a task force that advance goals agreed upon in the discussions. A joint statement on the forum's conclusions is expected to be issued soon.
