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Straits Times
19 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Australia makes second $525 million AUKUS payment amid US review
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: Virginia-class fast attack submarine USS Minnesota (SSN-783) is seen off the coast of Western Australia, Australia March 16, 2025. COLIN MURTY/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo SYDNEY - Australia has paid the United States A$800 million ($525 million) in the second instalment under the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, despite an ongoing formal review of the agreement by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the latest instalment on Wednesday, following an initial $500 million paid in February. In 2023, the United States, Australia and Britain unveiled details of a plan to provide Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines from the early 2030s to counter China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. Australia committed to spend A$368 billion over three decades in its biggest-ever defence deal. Canberra is due to pay the U.S. $2 billion by year-end to support the expansion of American submarine shipyards, Reuters reported in April. 'There's a schedule of payments to be made. We have an agreement with the United States as well as with the United Kingdom, it is about increasing their capacity, their industrial capacity,' Albanese told national broadcaster ABC. 'As part of that as well, we have Australians on the ground, learning those skills.' Trump launched a formal review of AUKUS in June to examine whether the pact met his "American First" criteria. It will be led by Elbridge Colby, who in the past has expressed skepticism about AUKUS. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore's domestic recycling rate drops to all-time low of 11% Singapore HDB launches 10,209 BTO and balance flats, as priority scheme for singles kicks in Singapore Local buyers are key to recovery of prime district condo market Singapore New online channel for public to report illegal ride-hailing services Singapore Ex-Tanjong Pagar United footballer charged with assault after Singapore Premier League match in Feb Singapore COE prices for cars mostly unchanged; premium for commercial vehicles up 2.9% Life The Projector will resume daily screenings at Golden Mile Tower. Is it exiting Cineleisure next? Singapore Youth Courts will take a new approach to cases, focused on underlying issues and supporting needs Australia, which sees the submarines as critical to its own defense as tensions grow over China's military buildup, has maintained it is confident the pact will proceed. 'We support AUKUS," Albanese said. 'We have an agreement to a treaty level, with our partners, signed, of course in San Diego with the United States and United Kingdom." Washington will sell several Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, while Britain and Australia will later build a new AUKUS-class submarine. REUTERS
Newsweek
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Stealth Jet Carrier Patrols South Pacific Amid China Rivalry
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A United States naval task group, led by a warship capable of carrying stealth fighter jets, operated in the South Pacific Ocean amid China's growing naval presence in the region. The USS America, an amphibious assault ship equipped with F-35B fighter jets, visited Sydney, Australia, alongside two other vessels, demonstrating the U.S. Navy's forward presence, the U.S. Navy said. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese defense and foreign ministries via email for comment. Why It Matters Australia is a U.S. ally in the South Pacific, where American naval vessels frequently make port calls for stopovers and training. These include visits by the nuclear-powered submarine USS Minnesota to Western Australia in February and the Northern Territory in March. Meanwhile, China is expanding its military reach and presence in the Pacific, leveraging the world's largest navy by hull count. From mid-February to early March, three Chinese naval vessels conducted a high-profile circumnavigation of Australia in a show of naval strength. What To Know The America arrived in Sydney on Saturday, followed by the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore the next day. The ships conducted a scheduled visit as part of routine operations in the South Pacific, the U.S. Navy said. The U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS America arrives in Sydney, Australia, for a scheduled port visit on June 14, 2025. The U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS America arrives in Sydney, Australia, for a scheduled port visit on June 14, 2025. U.S. Embassy Australia This marks the first time the three amphibious warships, capable of projecting air and land power from sea to shore, have been moored simultaneously in Sydney on the Australian east coast, along with about 4,500 Navy sailors and Marines, according to the U.S. Navy. This group of naval ships and its embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit—a U.S. Marine Corps crisis response force—forms the America Amphibious Ready Group, which is capable of conducting combat operations as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The F-35B fighter jet, designed for short takeoff and vertical landing on ships without full-length runways, offers "unparalleled stealth and operational flexibility," the U.S. Navy said. Prior to their port calls, the U.S. amphibious warships conducted "integrated operations" in the Solomon Sea, located north of Australia, between Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands on June 9, demonstrating the joint combat power of the Navy and Marine Corps. In addition to the America Amphibious Ready Group, USS Blue Ridge—a U.S. command and control ship—visited Sydney on May 26 during its deployment in the South Pacific. It was last seen on Saturday in Guam, the westernmost U.S. territory located in the Pacific. The U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS America conducts flight operations in the Solomon Sea with an F-35B fighter aircraft on June 9, 2025. The U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS America conducts flight operations in the Solomon Sea with an F-35B fighter aircraft on June 9, 2025. Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Darian Lord/U.S. Navy What People Are Saying U.S. Navy Captain John Baggett, commodore of the Amphibious Squadron 11 that oversees the America Amphibious Ready Group, in a press release on Sunday: "Our port visit allows us to deepen friendships with our Australian allies, which is instrumental to our two nations' forces operating together to maintain regional peace and stability." Erika Olson, Chargé d'Affaires, U.S. Mission to Australia, in a press release on Saturday: "The U.S.-Australia alliance is a cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The arrival of America, USS San Diego and USS Rushmore marks the first time that the three-ship America Strike Group are together in Sydney." What Happens Next The America will shift its home port from Sasebo, Japan, to San Diego, California, and will be replaced by its sister ship, USS Tripoli, as part of a scheduled rotation of U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific region. It remains to be seen when the ship will depart for the U.S. West Coast.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Brooklyn bridge stands strong, despite 150 years of close calls and collisions
Mexican navy tall ship collided with Brooklyn Bridge The fatal collision of the Mexican Navy's tall ship with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday that resulted in the death of two is not an accident first of its kind. It has been a worry of seafarers even before the bridge was fully constructed. The Brooklyn Bridge, which was the first bridge in the world to use steel for cable wire, has been a witness to quite a few tragic incidents. 19th century: First instance One of the first instances of such a collision dates back to the 19th century, when the topmast of a passing US Navy ship hit the span's wires. Ever since then, vessels have continued to clip at the iconic New York structure. Completed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge connects the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan by spanning the East River. Its underside reaches a maximum height of approximately 135 feet, varying with the tides. Bridge lawsuit reaches Supreme Court While the bridge was still under construction, a warehouse owner initially sued officials to stop the bridge and then later for compensation. He argued that the top masts of the ships collided with the bridge. The case made it to the US Supreme Court, with the court passing the judgment that the bridge did not restrict any kind of ship navigation. Even before this judgment was passed, at least one ship had collided with the still-under-construction bridge. 1878: USS Minnesota collides with Bridge According to a New York Daily Tribune dated back to 1878, a US Navy training ship called USS Minnesota had a collision with the bridge as it had to change course to avoid an oncoming ship. By the time the bridge was fully constructed, steam ships began to transport most goods and high-masted ships were not preferred as much, as per Richard Haw, professor of interdisciplinary studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Richard has also published two books on the Brooklyn Bridge. 20th century: Strike continues Despite this, mast strikes continued with at least two reported in the 1920s. A New York Times article reported that in 1941, the SS Nyass, which was bringing hundreds of refugees, collided with the bridge with a 'crunching sound'. With the onset of the 20th century, ships got taller and wider, and they still required mast-like structures for navigation. During World War II, the Brooklyn Navy Yard manufactured larger ships that could barely fit beneath the bridge. A photo from 1961 shows the USS Constellation aircraft carrier shows its mast folded over so as to avoid any friction with the bridge. Over the past two decades, minor incidents have occurred, including a 2012 event where a crane transported by barge struck the temporary scaffolding beneath the bridge. 21st century: Fatal collision None of the modern accidents was fatal in nature till May 18, when a Mexican Navy ship collided with the bridge that causing the deaths of two and injuring another 19 on board. The ship was set to depart for a goodwill tour to Iceland when the tragedy happened. Dominique Jean-Louis, chief historian at the Center for Brooklyn History, commented, 'That's the first and possibly only time where there's been a fatality onboard a ship that struck the Brooklyn Bridge." Even if not in water, the Brooklyn Bridge has witnessed tragedies for a long time. More than 20 people were killed and countless were left crippled while constructing the bridge. A panic-driven stampede also killed 12 people in 1883.
21-05-2025
- General
Ships have been hitting the Brooklyn Bridge for nearly 150 years
NEW YORK -- A Mexican navy tall ship's fatal collision with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday highlighted a hazard that has worried seafarers for nearly 150 years. Even before construction on the bridge was finished in the late 19th century, the topmast of a passing U.S. Navy ship hit the span's wires — and vessels continued to clip the iconic New York City structure for many years. But historians say Saturday's crash appears to be the first boat collision with the bridge to take the lives of crew members. Two Mexican naval cadets died and more were injured after the training ship Cuauhtémoc's masts crashed into the bridge as dozens of sailors stood harnessed high up in rigging as part of a public display. 'That's the first and possibly only time where there's been a fatality onboard of a ship that struck the Brooklyn Bridge,' said Dominique Jean-Louis, chief historian at the Center for Brooklyn History, part of the Brooklyn Public Library. Opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge spans the East River, connecting its eponymous borough's downtown to Manhattan. The highest point of the bridge's underside is listed at 135 feet (41.1 meters) on average above the water, but it fluctuates with the tides. During construction, a warehouse owner sued state officials — first to stop the bridge and then for compensation — arguing that some ships still had topmasts that exceeded the height. The case made it all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which dismissed the lawsuit, determining that the bridge did not unduly restrict ship navigation. Before that decision, however, at least one ship had already tangled with the still-under-construction crossing. According to an 1878 report in the New York Daily Tribune, the U.S. Navy wooden steam training ship USS Minnesota was headed toward the high point of the bridge after planning ahead and lowering its topmast. But at the last minute, it had to change course to avoid an oncoming ship, sending it to an area with lower clearance and striking the bridge's wires. Nobody was reported injured. By the time the bridge was complete, steam ships were transporting the lion's share of goods, and high-masted ships were waning in importance, said Richard Haw, professor of interdisciplinary studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the author of two books about the Brooklyn Bridge. 'They go from sail ships to steam ships,' Haw said. 'You don't need a huge clearance.' Yet mast strikes continued, including at least two reported in the 1920s — one of which was with the U.S. Navy's flagship USS Seattle, which had 'a little wooden pole that was a little too high," Jean-Louis said. In 1941, the SS Nyassa was bringing hundreds of refugees to New York City when the captain miscalculated the tide and part of its mast was bent into a right angle by the bridge's underspan, according to a New York Times article at the time that described a 'crunching sound.' Among the refugees on board was Hedwig Ehrlich, widow of the Nobel Prize-winning Jewish German scientist Paul Ehrlich, as she headed to live with daughters in San Francisco. As the 20th century went on, ships got taller and wider. And they still required mast-like appendages for observation and communication. A shipyard just north of the bridge, now known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard, churned out larger and larger ships during and after World War II, including aircraft carriers that could barely fit beneath the bridge. One photo from 1961 shows the USS Constellation aircraft carrier leaving the navy yard and passing underneath the Brooklyn Bridge with a mast that folded down onto the ship's deck, specially designed to get out into the harbor. In the past two decades, at least three minor strikes have been reported against the bridge's underside or base, including a crane being pulled via barge in 2012, which tore into temporary scaffolding mounted underneath the bridge. A similar crane accident damaged peripheral bridge maintenance equipment in July of 2023, according to a Coast Guard incident report. None of the modern accident reports document serious injuries. But off the water, the bridge has been a site of tragedy long before Saturday's crash. More than 20 people were killed and countless crippled while building it, including workers injured by decompression sickness, a little-understood affect of working in underwater in boxes sunk to the riverbed. Twelve people died in a panic-driven stampede among crowds visiting the bridge shortly after it opened to the public in 1883.
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Business Standard
21-05-2025
- General
- Business Standard
Latest crash shows how ships have been hitting Brooklyn Bridge for 150 yrs
A Mexican navy tall ship's fatal collision with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday highlighted a hazard that has worried seafarers for nearly 150 years. Even before construction on the bridge was finished in the late 19th century, the topmast of a passing US Navy ship hit the span's wires and vessels continued to clip the iconic New York City structure for many years. But historians say Saturday's crash appears to be the first boat collision with the bridge to take the lives of crew members. Two Mexican naval cadets died and more were injured after the training ship Cuauhtemoc's masts crashed into the bridge as dozens of sailors stood harnessed high up in rigging as part of a public display. That's the first and possibly only time where there's been a fatality onboard of a ship that struck the Brooklyn Bridge, said Dominique Jean-Louis, chief historian at the Center for Brooklyn History, part of the Brooklyn Public Library. Opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge spans the East River, connecting its eponymous borough's downtown to Manhattan. The highest point of the bridge's underside is listed at 135 feet (41.1 metres) on average above the water, but it fluctuates with the tides. During construction, a warehouse owner sued state officials first to stop the bridge and then for compensation arguing that some ships still had topmasts that exceeded the height. The case made it all the way up to the US Supreme Court, which dismissed the lawsuit, determining that the bridge did not unduly restrict ship navigation. Before that decision, however, at least one ship had already tangled with the still-under-construction crossing. According to an 1878 report in the New York Daily Tribune, the US Navy wooden steam training ship USS Minnesota was headed toward the high point of the bridge after planning ahead and lowering its topmast. But at the last minute, it had to change course to avoid an oncoming ship, sending it to an area with lower clearance and striking the bridge's wires. Nobody was reported injured. By the time the bridge was complete, steam ships were transporting the lion's share of goods, and high-masted ships were waning in importance, said Richard Haw, professor of interdisciplinary studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the author of two books about the Brooklyn Bridge. They go from sail ships to steam ships, Haw said. You don't need a huge clearance. Yet mast strikes continued, including at least two reported in the 1920s one of which was with the US Navy's flagship USS Seattle, which had a little wooden pole that was a little too high," Jean-Louis said. In 1941, the SS Nyassa was bringing hundreds of refugees to New York City when the captain miscalculated the tide and part of its mast was bent into a right angle by the bridge's underspan, according to a New York Times article at the time that described a crunching sound. Among the refugees on board was Hedwig Ehrlich, widow of the Nobel Prize-winning Jewish German scientist Paul Ehrlich, as she headed to live with daughters in San Francisco. As the 20th century went on, ships got taller and wider. And they still required mast-like appendages for observation and communication. A shipyard just north of the bridge, now known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard, churned out larger and larger ships during and after World War II, including aircraft carriers that could barely fit beneath the bridge. One photo from 1961 shows the USS Constellation aircraft carrier leaving the navy yard and passing underneath the Brooklyn Bridge with a mast that folded down onto the ship's deck, specially designed to get out into the harbour. In the past two decades, at least three minor strikes have been reported against the bridge's underside or base, including a crane being pulled via barge in 2012, which tore into temporary scaffolding mounted underneath the bridge. A similar crane accident damaged peripheral bridge maintenance equipment in July of 2023, according to a Coast Guard incident report. None of the modern accident reports document serious injuries. But off the water, the bridge has been a site of tragedy long before Saturday's crash. More than 20 people were killed and countless crippled while building it, including workers injured by decompression sickness, a little-understood affect of working in underwater in boxes sunk to the riverbed. Twelve people died in a panic-driven stampede among crowds visiting the bridge shortly after it opened to the public in 1883.
