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The US has seen a “significant spike” in aggressive Russian military flights in Syria this month, the commander of US Central Command said Thursday, two days after Russian jets harassed and collided with a US drone over the Black Sea. Gen. Erik Kurilla told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that Russian ground-attack aircraft fly over US bases loaded with weapons “in an attempt to try and be provocative.” He described the Russian flights as “not what we expect of a professional air force.”

Slovakia will send its 13-strong fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, becoming the second Nato member behind Poland to answer president Volodymyr Zelensky’s pleas for planes to help Kyiv repel Russia’s invasion. Prime minister Eduard Heger announced his government’s unanimous decision on Friday to send the grounded fleet of Soviet-era jets, just hours after Poland’s Andrzej Duda declared plans to send four jets within days, with more to follow.

BBC News Taiwan has charged two former state officials with violating the national security law by organising meetings between former senior military officers and Chinese intelligence personnel. Those encounters allegedly allowed the Chinese to "contact and even recruit" ex-military officers to their network. Prosecutors say the pair arranged 13 free trips to mainland China for 48 former officers from 2013 to 2018. The men earlier denied they were recruiting spies for China. The meetings also promoted China's unification with Taiwan, prosecutors say. Retired rear admiral Hsia <deleted>-hsiang and ex-MP Lo Chih-ming face up to five years in jail if convicted.

Rolls-Royce scientists and engineers are to research how nuclear power could be used to support a future Moon base. The UK Space Agency has given the Derby-based firm £2.9m to look at ways of powering future lunar settlements. The company has been asked to demonstrate how nuclear micro reactors could extend the duration of future missions to the Moon. The government said the deal would boost the UK's space industry and create skilled jobs. The UK Space Agency said it wanted to establish a new power source to support systems for communications, life-support and scientific experiments on the Moon. The agency's chief executive Dr Paul Bate said: "We are backing technology and capabilities to support ambitious space exploration missions and boost sector growth across the UK.

Stock markets have risen after a group of US banking giants stepped in to rescue a smaller regional lender, which had been seen as at risk of failure. Investors' worries over a crisis in the banking sector were eased after 11 US banks injected $30bn (£24.8bn) into First Republic. Recent bank collapses in the US have raised fears over the health of the banking system. The UK's FTSE 100 share index was up 1% in early trade. Among the UK banks, shares in Lloyds and Barclays were up 1.3% higher. Stock markets in France and Germany were up by about 0.6%, and earlier, Japan's Nikkei index had closed 1.2% higher. The 11 US banks who announced the support said the action reflected their "confidence in the country's banking system". US financial officials said the move was "most welcome, and demonstrates the resilience of the banking system".

US health officials say that eyedrops may have killed one person and severely injured several others due to drug-resistant bacterial contamination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have identified 68 patients across 16 states with a rare strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The strain had never been found in the US before this latest outbreak. In addition to the one death, eight patients have suffered vision loss, and four have had eyes surgically removed. Most of the patients diagnosed with the infection reported using eyedrops and artificial tears, according to the CDC. Ten different brands were initially identified as possibly linked to the outbreak, the CDC said. Eyedrops that are made in India and imported to the US under two brands were subsequently pulled from shelves in January and February. In January, the CDC warned people to stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma's Artificial Tears. The next month, the company that owns the brands - Global Pharma - issued a voluntary recall following a formal recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The US State Department has approved the sale of some 220 cruise missiles to Australia in a deal valued at $895m. The proposed sale, which requires sign-off from Congress, includes Tomahawk missiles and technical support. The missiles will be used by the Virginia-class submarines Australia will acquire from the US under the Aukus defence pact. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said the missiles would provide "a really important capability". The deal would enable the country "to reach out beyond our shores further and that's ultimately how we are able to keep Australia safe" the minister told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The missiles could be initially deployed on Australia's Hobart-class destroyers before the first Aukus submarines are delivered, ABC reported. The Pentagon said the sale would "improve Australia's capability to interoperate with US maritime forces and other allied forces as well as its ability to contribute to missions of mutual interest".

Poland has charged six foreign citizens with preparing acts of sabotage and spying for Russia, interior minister Mariusz Kaminski has said. Mr Kaminski said the six were "foreigners from across the eastern border" and they had sought to disrupt military and aid supplies to Ukraine. Prosecutors are currently preparing proceedings against three other people also detained in the operation. Mr Kaminski said the cell had been preparing "sabotage actions" in Poland. "Evidence indicates that this group monitored railway lines. Their tasks included recognising, monitoring and documenting weapons' transports to Ukraine," Mr Kaminski told a news briefing on Thursday morning. "The suspects were also preparing sabotage actions aimed at paralysing the supply of equipment, weapons and aid to Ukraine." Six of the suspects have been charged with conducting espionage for Russia and participation in an organised criminal group, after they were detained as part of an operation conducted by Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW).

At least one person has been killed and two injured in a fire at a building used by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, Russian media say. Dramatic footage on social media shows a large blaze, with smoke visible all over the city. Rostov's regional governor said a short circuit appeared to have caused the fire, which ignited fuel tanks. The street where the building is located has been cordoned off. The blaze occurred at a building belonging to the FSB's regional border patrol section in a built-up area of the city. The FSB is Russia's internal security service and is responsible for counter-intelligence, border security and counter-terrorism. Rostov Governor Vassily Golubev said the fire had spread over 800 sq m, causing two walls to collapse.

Seoul makes the first move - but expects more Jean Mackenzie in Seoul South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has pulled off quite the coup to get this summit. This is the first time a South Korean leader has been invited to Tokyo for such a meeting in 12 years. The relationship between these neighbours has been plagued for decades by their difficult history. South Korea was colonised by Japan from 1910 until the end of World War Two. Japanese soldiers forced hundreds of thousands of Koreans to work in its mines and factories. Women were pushed into sexual slavery. These scars, while no longer fresh, are not forgotten nor forgiven here. But last week, President Yoon dropped the demand that Japan compensate some of the victims of its slavery. He agreed South Korea would raise the money instead. In doing so he sought to put aside the past for the sake of the security of northeast Asia.

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Getting Started With Classic Cars – Setting Out 13 March 2023 Interest in classic cars has never been higher and the classic car scene has never been more exciting, diverse, and busy with a whole plethora of events and tours on offer. It’s a great community to be a part of and the reasons why you might want to dip your toe in are as many and varied as the number of cars on offer. Getting started with Classic Cars Many enter the world of classic cars because of nostalgia, buying the car they hankered after as a youth, or one that brings back memories of a dear family member or friend. Some were ‘doomed at birth’ having grown up in families dedicated to classic cars and the tight knit community around them. Recent research by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs revealed that many new owners buy a classic to enable them to go to certain events, tours or to access a particular lifestyle. Full Article