Resilience tomorrow when the war began

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Russian forces are targeting the M-777 howitzers the United States has given to the Ukrainian army. The Russians have knocked out at least three of the 155-millimeter towed howitzers, 126 of which the United States has pledged to the Ukrainian war effort. These losses belie Ukrainian artillery’s impressive performance against tough odds. According to the best outside analysis, the Russian army has lost more artillery than the Ukrainian army as Russia’s wider war in Ukraine grinds into its fourth month. Ukrainian gunners excel at “counterbattery” fire—that is, quickly shooting back at Russian guns. “The M-777s have been absolutely lethal,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told reporters last week. The Ukrainian army went to war with 1,800 artillery pieces—almost all of them ex-Soviet models that the army inherited following the Soviet Union’s 1991 collapse. The ex-Soviet cannons mostly are 122-millimeter and … [Read more...] about The Russians Are Targeting Ukraine’s American-Made Howitzers

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Desperate to avoid surface-to-air missiles in the lethal air space over Ukraine, Russian and Ukrainian pilots have revived a classic tactic—flying really, really low. But the same low flying that helps pilots to dodge enemy air-defenses also exposes them to a separate risk: collisions with the terrain. In just the past week or so, the Russian air force has lost two Su-25 attack planes, and at least one pilot, in crashes during low-level flights to or from the war zone. The sky over Ukraine—in particular, eastern Ukraine where the fighting is the most intensive—is some of the most dangerous in the world for crews on both sides of the conflict. In four months of warfare, the Ukrainian and Russian air forces have written off around a fifth of their deployed fixed-wing aircraft, as well as many helicopters. Ukraine has lost 39 manned aircraft that independent analysts can confirm; Russia has lost 81. It’s … [Read more...] about Russian Jets Are Flying So Low To Dodge Ukrainian Air-Defenses That They’re Running Into The Ground

AFP PREMIUM Berlin, Germany   ● Sun, June 26, 2022 The United States said Sunday that the G7 group of nations will ban imports of Russian gold with the aim of tightening sanctions screws on Moscow and crippling its war effort in Ukraine. "Together, the G7 will announce that we will ban the import of Russian gold, a major export that rakes in tens of billions of dollars for Russia," President Joe Biden said on Twitter. The measure was initially flagged by Britain as joint action being taken along with fellow G7 members Canada, Japan and the United States. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Or let Google manage your … [Read more...] about G7 to ban Russian gold imports, choking key market for Putin

Have you ever looked at another person’s daily accomplishments and thought, “How do they do it”? By the time most are pouring a second cup of coffee in the morning, some super-achievers have gone for a 5-mile run, hit inbox zero, and nailed the rough draft of that report due next week. Oh, and they figured out the day’s Wordle, too. advertisement advertisement After more than a decade of writing and practicing productivity techniques, I’ve learned that these folks generally do know more about how to get more done. And you can adopt those practices, too. But, why would you? Getting more done in less time can mean that you have more free time to do the things you love with the people you love. Or, it can create space to fill with more work that could have a detrimental effect on your mental and physical health. I learned this the hard way last year. advertisement advertisement Don’t make the same mistakes. Instead, practice … [Read more...] about The ultimate guide to purposeful productivity (your mental health will thank you)

Dimples Romana Actress Dimples Romana, who gave birth to her third child on Friday, said she has no plan of taking a break from show business once the baby arrives. “Even though I want to encourage working moms like me to take a long break after giving birth, I would be lying to you if I told you I’d do just that. My body and mind just don’t seem to want to entertain the idea of resting,” Dimples told reporters during a virtual launch organized by the private drugstore chain Generika, which got the actress as the new face of its “Ginhawa Generika” campaign. Inquirer Entertainment went to press with this article shortly before Dimples gave birth. “We have a lot of financial responsibilities, especially now that Ate Callie (her eldest child) is in Australia and is studying aviation. She will become a pilot in two years,” Dimples announced. “Also, my responsibilities as a mom is divided into three. I have a teenager (Callie), a grade-schooler (Alonzo), and a newborn (Elio). Even … [Read more...] about Dimples Romana willing to do ‘one of the most excruciating sacrifices’ for her children

The International Monetary Fund has slashed its US economic growth forecast as aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate hikes cool demand but predicted that the United States would "narrowly" avoid a recession. In an annual assessment of US economic policies, the IMF said it now expects US Gross Domestic Product to grow 2.9 percent in 2022, less than its most recent forecast of 3.7 percent in April. For 2023, the IMF cut its US growth forecast to 1.7 percent from 2.3 percent and it now expects growth to trough at 0.8 percent in 2024. Last October, the IMF predicted 5.2 percent US growth this year, but since then, new Covid-19 variants and stubborn supply chain disruptions have slowed recovery, while a sharp spike in fuel and food prices prompted by Russia's war in Ukraine further stoked inflation to 40-year highs. "We are conscious that there is a narrowing path to avoiding a recession in the US," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told a news conference on Friday, … [Read more...] about IMF slashes US growth forecast to 2.9%, sees ‘narrowing path’ to avoid recession

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline A federal appeals court issued a temporary stay Friday blocking a nationwide ban on Juul Labs' electronic cigarette products, just a day after the Food and Drug Administration ordered Juul merchandise to be pulled off store shelves due to marketing concerns. Key Facts Juul argued in a court filing Friday that the FDA ban was unlawful, calling it an "arbitrary" ruling that has nothing to do with safety. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals judges who issued the stay Friday did not rule on the merits of Juul's argument, but determined the company could continue selling its products while the case proceeded in court. The FDA told Forbes the agency “does not comment on possible, pending or ongoing litigation.” Key Background The FDA claims Juul has not been able to prove its marketing meets FDA standards by failing to demonstrate that its products are safe. The federal agency has specifically … [Read more...] about Appeals Court Halts Ban On Juul Vaping Products—For Now

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin A print Juul advertisement that ran in Vice Magazine in 2015 as part of the e-cigarette company'’s ... [+] launch campaign, “Vaporized.” Juul 'Vaporized' ad in 2015 via Stanford Research Into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising Juul Labs, the maker of the most popular U.S. e-cigarette, is growing meteorically—on track to generate an estimated $1 billion in sales this year, up more than 300% from a year ago. However, its products haven’t only gained traction among smokers trying to wean themselves off cigarettes. They are also a hit with teenagers. What medical experts are calling a Juul-driven “youth nicotine epidemic” is gaining heightened attention from regulators like the Food and Drug Administration, which on Thursday said it is seeking a nationwide ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars and will sharply restrict the sales of fruity-flavored nicotine vaping cartridges. Juul, likely aware of the … [Read more...] about The Disturbing Focus Of Juul’s Early Marketing Campaigns

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Russia’s small drones continue to take a deadly toll of Ukrainian forces, directing laser-guided artillery rounds with lethal precision. But the drones are not as advanced as you might expect, with new video of a captured airframe showing it is fitted with an off-the-shelf Canon DSLR camera. Russia’s manned air force has not been effective, and even its most modern aircraft keep getting shot down . Confirmed casualties to date include at least 19 combat aircraft and 32 helicopters, but the real total will be higher (though likely less than the 152 aircraft and 137 helicopters claimed by Ukraine). But their unmanned fleet seems to have been more effective. Numerous drone videos released by the Russian Ministry of Defence show similar scenes : a Ukrainian armored vehicle, often self-propelled artillery, is observed for a few seconds before suddenly exploding, destroyed by an unseen projectile. Sometimes videos … [Read more...] about Russia’s Deadly Artillery Drones Have A Strange Secret (Updated)

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Ukrainian forces have repeatedly repelled Russian attacks and inflicted heavy losses on the attackers, as seen in an attempted river crossing at Siverskyi Donets yesterday which left the area littered with burned-out Russian vehicles . While light anti-tank weapons such as the Javelin play an important part, Ukrainian artillery does most of the damage, striking targets with extreme precision from indirect long-range fire. How can they achieve this extraordinary accuracy? The answer may lie in cheap drones. Hitting a tank with an artillery round is an unusual feat. A round fired indirectly – lobbed at grid co-ordinates which are invisible to the gunner – will have a ‘ circular error probable ,’ or CEP, measured in tens of meters, which is the circle inside which half the rounds land. For a 155mm weapon the CEP is typically 25 meters at 15 miles, making it difficult to hit a tank-sized target. Doing so normally requires a … [Read more...] about How Drones Are Making Ukrainian Artillery Lethally Accurate