FILE IMAGE: The USS Nimitz, USS Kitty Hawk and USS John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Groups © U.S. Navy / Reuters The US military has officially confirmed that its three aircraft carrier strike groups will hold joint drills in the Western Pacific for the first time in a decade. According to the US NAvy, the USS Ronald Reagan, USS Nimitz and USS Theodore Roosevelt strike groups will conduct air defense drills, sea surveillance, replenishments at sea and other training in a period between November 11 and November 14. “ Units assigned to the strike force will conduct coordinated operations in international waters in order to demonstrate the U.S. Navy’s unique capability to operate multiple carrier strike groups as a coordinated strike force effort ,”  the US Navy’s statement says  besides general claims about “security” and “stability” in the region. The previous time when three carrier strike groups operated together was during exercises Valiant Shield 2006 and 2007, which were

Written by Mikaprok;  Originally appeared in Russian in his blog A study in landscape design for exotic places on Earth. Let’s try to bring some context to the never ending discussion of offshores. The amount of leaks concerning offshores may very well surpass the amount of legal information. More than 13 million of documents have fallen into the public’s hands, and the media try their best to find some recognizable names out of vast expanses of text, trying to match them with known information. It’s time to dot the i’s and cross the t’s by laying some fundamental truths out. Let’s start with the big question. Who keeps the money in the offshores? Doesn’t matter whether the offshores are British, American, Asian or Middle Eastern. If we want to keep it simple then the answer is everyone who has money. One way or the other they keep them in offshores. Since the 1920s, Switzerland has existed in its own international banking dimension. The European cream of the crop al

FILE IMAGE: AFP/Adem Altan Security forces arrested 111 alleged ISIS members in the Turkish capital of Ankara on November 9, Turkish media report. The ongoing anti-ISIS operation involves 1,500 security service members. The security operation targets the distrcits of Sincan, Etimesgut, and Cubuk. In total, the arrest warrants were reportedly issued for 245 suspects by Ankara’s public prosecutor’s office. On the same day, security forces also conducted an operation against ISIS in the province of Bingol. Turkey, which has been a rear base for ISIS supporters and foreign fighters for a long time, faces a significant security threate as  ISIS’ self-proclaimed caliphate collapses. A major part of ISIS members fleeing Syria and Iraq chooses the Turkish territory as a hideout.