military
Shirtless North Korean soldiers break bricks with their heads, lay on glass and nails for Kim Jong-un
A video of North Korean soldiers — some of them shirtless — performing extreme martial arts for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has gone viral on social media.
What’s going on: The performance, which originally aired on North Korean TV, was part of a “self-defense” military exhibition held on Monday. The rest of the event included a formal ceremony, a weapons display and flight stunts by combat pilots, according to KCNA.
Indonesia’s Military to Kick Out Soldiers Discovered to Be Gay
Indonesia’s military is set to sanction soldiers found to be members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transsexual or Transgender (LGBT) community.
Issue of “morality”: On Thursday, Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI) spokesperson Col. Sus Aidil released a written statement highlighting the sanction and categorizing being a part of the LGBT community as immoral, reports Tempo.
Mass Shooting in Thailand Leaves 29 People Dead, 58 Wounded
Thailand is mourning the victims of a recent mass shooting, which has been called the worst in the country’s history.
A disgruntled soldier fatally shot 29 people and wounded 58 — 30 of whom are still in the hospital — across a rampage spanning four locations in and around Nakhon Ratchasima, CNN reports.
South Korea’s First Transgender Soldier Discharged After Sex Change Surgery
South Korean military officials have confirmed that they discharged their first known transgender soldier after she underwent gender reassignment surgery.
Staff sergeant Byun Hui-su is now pleading to be allowed to continue her service following the conclusion of the military panel that her procedure can be a reason for discharge, Time reports.
He Escaped Saigon After His Family Was Killed, Now He’s the Navy’s First Vietnamese American Admiral
Huan Nguyen has become the first Vietnamese American to achieve the rank of rear admiral in a ceremony at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 10.
Nguyen, 60, originally from Hue, Vietnam, is the son of an armor officer in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, according to Naval Sea Systems Command.
China’s ‘Most Beautiful Soldier’ is Also a Former Lingerie Model
The Chinese government unintentionally sent millions of hearts aflutter when it announced that it would hold its largest military parade on October 1.
While there was excitement to celebrate the People’s Republic of China’s 70th founding anniversary, it was the anticipation to see one member of the People’s Liberation Army that nearly broke the Chinese internet.
Sikh American Becomes the First Airman Allowed to Keep Beard, Turban on Duty
For the first time, a Sikh American man was granted religious accommodation to keep his beard, turban and unshorn hair while serving in the U.S. Air Force.
Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa, who joined the military branch in 2017, had been unable to observe his practice due to grooming and dress codes, which enforce strict standards for both men and women.
U.S. Military in Okinawa Asks Soldiers to Keep Quiet After Sailor Kills Japanese Woman Then Himself
Service people stationed at a U.S. military base in Okinawa, Japan have reportedly been asked by their Marines Commander to keep quiet about a sailor who killed himself after allegedly stabbing a Japanese woman to death.
The incident, along with other crimes involving servicemen in the area, has angered many Okinawans, ABC reports.
China Wishes Taiwan a ‘Happy Lunar New Year’ With Video of Bombers and Jets
In welcoming the Lunar New Year, China released a video message for Taiwan depicting moments of daily life in the island before shifting to scenes of bombers and jet fighters from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The video, titled “My Fighting Eagles Fly Around Formosa” — a former name of Taiwan — was released on Weibo to a chorus of support from mainland citizens on Sunday.
U.S. Army Member Wanted for Murdering Wife, Fleeing to Thailand
A member of the U.S. Army stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado is wanted for allegedly murdering his wife Khuang Par during the holidays last year.
Investigators have identified the suspect as 21-year-old Peter Van Bawi Lian, who flew from Colorado to Indianapolis on December 22 while still on active duty, BuzzFeed reported.
Okinawans Call on Donald Trump to Stop Building Military Bases on Their Island
Despite strong opposition from locals, Japan’s central government initiated main reclamation work Friday at a United States military base relocation site on the southern island of Okinawa.
Earlier this month, the Fukuoka High Court rejected the Okinawa Prefectural Government’s demand to stop the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the island prefecture, Japan Times reports.
China Recruits Their Brightest Children to Help Develop ‘Killer Robots’
A group composed of China’s brightest students will soon begin their training to build weapons that harness artificial intelligence.
The students, aged 18 and below, were selected from a pool of more than 5,000 candidates for the four-year “experimental program for intelligent weapons systems” at the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT).