Russia 'could cut UK's undersea internet cables', warns defence chief

The head of Britain's military says Russia could try to sever undersea communications cables, and protecting them is a defense priority for NATO.

Air Chief Marshal Stuart Peach says cutting or disrupting the cables could have a "potentially catastrophic" economic effect.

Peach told an audience at the Royal United Services Institute that "along with our Atlantic allies, we have prioritised missions and tasks to protect the sea lines of communication."

In yesterday's speech, Peach said that Russia "in addition to new ships and submarines continues to perfect both unconventional capabilities and information warfare." He said NATO is working "to match and understand Russian fleet modernization."

Earlier this month the Policy Exchange think-tank highlighted how Russia had "easily" severed all digital communications to Crimea during its 2014 invasion of the Black Sea peninsula.
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Zimbabweans relish bribe-free roads after Mugabe's fall

As Robert Mugabe's regime tottered and fell, one immediate benefit that Zimbabweans celebrated with glee was the sudden absence of bribe-extracting police who were a symbol of life under his rule.

Endless police roadblocks were a notorious feature of every journey in Zimbabwe, with drivers reluctantly paying frequent bribes to evade long questioning over minor alleged offences.

But across Harare and along major national routes, barely a single police officer has been spotted since the military took over on November 14 and forced Mugabe to step down after 37 years in power.

During the turmoil, the absence of police -and the presence of the occasional armoured military vehicle on the streets -- shed light on the dramatic political struggle that was fought behind closed doors.

Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri remained a key supporter of Mugabe and his wife Grace until the end -- while army chief General Constantino Chiwenga led the military effort to unseat the president.

For ordinary Zimbabweans, the future under incoming president Emmerson Mnangagwa may be uncertain, but the disappearance of corrupt traffic officers has been a daily cause to relish Mugabe's exit.

"I was paying bribes two or three times a week," Norman Manzini, 35, a self-employed brokerage dealer who drives a 2004 Nissan March hatchback, told AFP.

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US expresses concern over China militarizing artificial islands in SCS

A United States army official has expressed concern over China's militarising of artificial islands in the South China Sea and alleged that Beijing was increasing its armed presence in the area.

"China is putting on those man-made islands, which they have made, features are becoming militaristic, they are growing military on these man-made islands in the South China Sea," Major General James S Hartsell, mobilisation assistant to the commander US Pacific command, told ANI, on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference 2017 here on Friday.

"America takes no territorial ...We do take a strong feeling and position on keeping open on global comments and so we would continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows that includes south China sea," he added, while referring to China's military presence in South China sea.

Maj Gen Hartsell expressed concern over the issue of privacy in the Indian Ocean and said that lot of work has come together over the years to reduce privacy in the region.

Referring to terrorism in the region, he said the United States is working with lot of progress with its allies in the region to counter terrorist organisations which are trying to reconstitute, regroup in this part of the world and South East Asia particularly.
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