BBC News | Ukraine braces for further cyber-attacks - BBC News BBC News A month on from the NotPetya attack, many in Ukraine are ready for further cyber-strikes. |
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Ukraine braces for further cyber-attacks - BBC News - BBC News
NORMAN, Oklahoma -
It's homecoming day forthe second and final wave of soldiers returning with the179th Infantryof the Oklahoma National Guard who had been helping security forces in the Ukraine for the past several months.
Nearly 250 members of the 45thInfantry Brigade Combat Teamwere deployed to Ukraine as part the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine (JMTG-U), where they provided training support for Ukrainian Forces.It's part of a larger effort to train the Ukrainian army and make it NATO interoperable by 2020.Ukrainian leaders believe the training will help them regain control of the eastern part of their country, under siege from Russian-backed separatists since 2014.
The 45th IBCT was the first of two six-month rotations to Ukraine.
"That's just how Oklahomans are," said Lt. Col. Scott Holt, deputy commander of the 45th IBCT. "They want to help people and they want to do the best they can to assist other folks.
The homecoming event for the Oklahoma National Guard members will take place at 1 p.m. at the Norman Armed Forces Reserve Center.
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45th IBCT Returning From Ukraine Today - news9.com KWTV
The Octavio Zambrano era has gotten off to a near-perfect start for Canada.
Since the Ecuadorian took over the program in March, the team has yet to experience a loss. In fact, the Canucks have not tasted defeat in 2017, with the unbeaten streak extended to six games thanks to a scoreless draw with Honduras last week in Canada's final group stage match at the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
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The positivity, while modest, will continue for a few more days at least, with Zambrano's squad preparing to face Jamaica in the tournament quarterfinals on Thursday in Glendale, Ariz. It'll be the first of two meetings between the sides over the summer, as the teams will also square off in a friendly at Toronto's BMO Field in early September.
If it wasn't obvious, Thursday's match is the far more important of the two against the Jamaicans.
The Caribbean nation claimed the most recent meeting between these two sides, securing a 1-0 victory in the 2015 Gold Cup thanks to a stoppage time goal. Canada looks to exact some revenge on Thursday, riding a newfound confidence under the new coach that saw the beleaguered team finally break a number of embarrassing tournament droughts (goals, wins, advancement to the knockout stage) en route to this week's clash.
For their part, the Canadians aren't idly accepting advancement to the quarters as the end goal. Cyle Larin, the 22-year-old former MLS rookie of the year who plies his trade for Orlando City, has been summoned by Zambrano to replace midfielder/defender Raheem Edwards in the squad. The move signifies a commitment to the type of attacking soccer that Zambrano promised when he took the reins earlier this year, glimpses of which we've seen on display in the group stage.
Larin will be in tough to crack the starting lineup as Lucas Cavallini has performed admirably as a tireless force up front, harassing defenders and providing link-up play that has resulted in teenage sensation Alphonso Davies' first of three goals so far in the tournament.
Regardless, Larin will be another weapon at Zambrano's disposal, as Canada looks to claim a very realistic opportunity to move on to the semifinals of the regional competition for the first time since 2007.
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Even if Thursday is the end of the road for the Canadians, this year's Gold Cup will have to be looked upon as a success. Zambrano has managed to introduce several new players to the fold, with young players like Davies, Michael Petrasso, Samuel Adekugbe and Mark-Anthony Kaye having notable Gold Cup debuts. Along with the likes of Scott Arfield, Junior Hoilett and Steven Vitoria all veterans who are still relatively inexperienced in international play Canada has managed to give its player pool a much-needed infusion of new talent at a time when several of the more familiar faces from the past decade are transitioning away from the national team.
Zambrano's task is to essentially prepare the Canadians for World Cup qualification for Qatar 2022, which won't begin for another 2-3 years. In the time leading up to those matches, it's all about exposing young talent to the rigours of international action while forging an identity upon which the program can be based.
Gold Cup 2017 is just the first step, and there is plenty of work to be done, but it's already been a giant leap forward.
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Canada is back! Canucks ready for first Gold Cup knockout game ... - Yahoo Sports
In her first public appearance since leaving the White House, the former first lady was asked which shards of glass had cut her the deepest.
There were no video cameras allowed at the event, but CNN has verified the remarks the Post reported with the Women's Foundation of Colorado.
Tuesday's speech at the Pepsi Center in Denver was part of the Women's Foundation of Colorado's 30th anniversary fundraising celebration.
Seated in a comfortable armchair in a talk-show format, Obama was met with cheers when she made brief remarks about the current administration and "boos" after saying she wouldn't be running for public office.
"Michelle is a rarity in today's society," said Mattye Crowley, one of the event's 8,300 attendees. "We have witnessed for over eight years people picked and tormented her every move, and she stayed true to herself."
The former first lady told the audience how best to empower girls from a young age. She said a large portion of that responsibility falls on education.
"If we want girls in STEM, we need to rethink how we deliver education," Obama told the crowd, using the acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. "Teachers, a kind word can mean the world to a young girl."
While serving as first lady, she launched several campaigns aimed at education.
"Reach Higher" inspires students to complete education past high school, and "Let Girls Learn" helps facilitate educational opportunities for young girls in developing countries.
They may have left the White House, but the Obamas aren't going away anytime soon.
"Public service and engagement will be a part of my life and my husband's life forever," Obama said.
She stayed away from current politics, but did mention the campaign slogan of her husband, former President Barack Obama.
"It was never 'yes he can'; it was 'yes we can,'" Obama said. "When we put so much on a person, on a leader, we absolve ourselves of doing anything else. We're all on a journey together -- we are all figuring this out. We all want someone who will fix things, but we're going to have to fix it together."
Some final words of wisdom from Obama? Surround yourself with other powerful people, don't be afraid to fail and protect what you love.
"What is going on within us [women] that we don't feel worthy enough to protect the things we value?" she said.
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Michelle Obama rises above racist jabs to empower women - CNN International
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would ban transgender people from the U.S. military, an action appealing to some in his conservative political base but sowing confusion about the fate of thousands of transgender service members.
Trump's surprise announcement, in a series of Twitter posts, drew condemnation from rights groups and some lawmakers in both parties as discrimination with purely political motives. But it was praised by conservative activists and some Republicans.
Trump spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the administration has not yet decided whether transgender service members already in the military would be immediately thrown out, saying the White House and Pentagon would have to work that out.
The action, reversing Democratic former President Barack Obama's policy, halted years of efforts to eliminate barriers to military service based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
"After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military," Trump tweeted, without naming any of the generals or experts.
"Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail," added Trump, who as a presidential candidate last year vowed to fight for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people.
Sanders said Trump had "extensive discussions with his national security team" and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was informed after the president made the decision on Tuesday.
"This was about military readiness," Sanders told a briefing. "This was about unit cohesion. This was about resources within the military, and nothing more."
Some White House officials were caught by surprise. A senior administration official said Trump had been determined to act for a while, but the question was the timing, with advisers split on whether to conduct reviews before announcing the move.
The Pentagon earlier referred questions about Trump's decision to the White House.
The announcement at least temporarily changed the subject in Washington with Trump's administration mired in investigations into his presidential campaign's contacts with Russia and struggling to win approval of any major legislation.
It was not the first time Trump has targeted transgender people since taking office in January. In February, he rescinded protections for transgender students put in place by Obama that had let them use bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity.
Senate Armed Forces Committee Chairman John McCain - the most prominent veteran in Congress, who was a Navy pilot and prisoner of war during the Vietnam War - called Trump's announcement unclear and inappropriate until an ongoing Pentagon study on the issue is completed and reviewed by Mattis, the military leadership and lawmakers.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council advocacy group, was among those praising Trump, saying that "our troops shouldn't be forced to endure hours of transgender 'sensitivity' classes and politically correct distractions."
Obama's Pentagon last year announced it was ending its ban on transgender people serving openly, calling the prohibition outdated. The Defense Department had been expected to start allowing transgender people to begin enlisting this year. But Mattis on June 30 approved a six-month delay in allowing transgender recruits to join the military.
American Civil Liberties Union attorney Joshua Block said Trump had rejected the "basic humanity" of transgender service members.
"There are no cost or military readiness drawbacks associated with allowing trans people to fight for their country," Block said. "The president is trying to score cheap political points on the backs of military personnel who have put their lives on the line for their country."
Obama's defense secretary, Ash Carter, last year cited a study by the RAND Corporation think tank saying there were about 2,500 transgender active-duty service members and 1,500 reserve transgender service members.
"To choose service members on other grounds than military qualifications is social policy and has no place in our military," Carter said on Wednesday, noting there were already transgender individuals serving "capably and honorably."
The House of Representatives' top Democrat, Nancy Pelosi, noted that a Pentagon-commissioned study determined the cost of providing medically necessary transition-related care involving transgender service members would amount to one-100th of 1 percent of the military's healthcare budget. The study put the cost at $2.4 million to $8.4 million a year of the more than $50 billion the Defense Department spends on healthcare.
"Once again, President Trump has shown his conduct is driven not by honor, decency, or national security, but by raw prejudice," Pelosi said.
Sarah Warbelow of the Human Rights Campaign advocacy group said Trump's action amounted to "discrimination on the basis of sex and identity," and was open to legal challenge under the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection under the law.
U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican whose son is transgender, said on Twitter: "No American, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity, should be prohibited from honor + privilege of serving our nation."
Chelsea Manning, the transgender Army soldier who served seven years in prison for leaking classified data, said Trump's action "sounds like cowardice." Transgender celebrity Caitlyn Jenner defended "patriotic transgender Americans" in the military and asked Trump on Twitter, "What happened to your promise to fight for them?"
But Vicky Hartzler, a Republican congresswoman, praised Trump for changing Obama's "costly and damaging policy."
The U.S. military's ban on gays serving openly in the armed forces ended under Obama in 2011 after Congress passed legislation in 2010 reversing a law dubbed "don't ask, don't tell" that had forced the ouster of thousands of service members and others to hide their sexual orientation.
The Pentagon under Obama also opened all combat roles in the military to women.
The U.S. military at times has been in the vanguard of social progress. Trump's action came on the 69th anniversary of Democratic President Harry Truman racially integrating the armed forces, years before the 1950s and 1960s civil rights battles.
Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Phil Stewart in Washington; Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Lawrence Hurley and Susan Heavey in Washington, and Daniel Trotta, Andrew Seaman, Joseph Ax and Jonathan Allen in New York; Writing by Will Dunham; Editing by Jonathan Oatis
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Trump to ban transgender military personnel, reversing Obama - Reuters