Lasers are commonly seen as a ‘weapon of the future’ – and that future is already here as they are making it into the military. Laser systems have unique properties, opening new ways of waging warfare, RT’s military analyst says.

Laser weaponry “will largely define” the combat potential of the Russian armed forces “throughout the whole of the 21st century,” President Vladimir Putin said. The country has already adopted a combat laser system – Peresvet – and appears to be seeking other weaponry of this type.

Lasers indeed have great potential to be used in combat, especially against uncongenial targets such as swarms of tiny drones, Russian military analyst Mikhail Khodarenok believes. Apart from that, they have many advantages compared to ballistic and missile weaponry.

“Laser weaponry is quite tempting due to the possibility of a surprise and almost immediate – at the speed of light – attack on an adversary, relative cheapness of a single ‘shot’, high precision and lack of the necessity to stockpile an arsenal of ‘munitions’ during peacetime,” Khodarenok told RT.

Apart from dealing direct damage to an adversary’s personnel and hardware, lasers can be used in a support role, facilitating usage of conventional weapon systems.

The analyst added that optical devices themselves actually amplify and focus a laser beam, making it very effective even at long ranges.

At the same time, laser weaponry has a number of limitations that are still in place despite decades of experiments with such arms around the world. Above all, the main issue is the need for a powerful and reliable energy source, which makes such systems either very bulky or suitable only for naval vessels.

“To make a 150kw laser ‘shot’ – not that powerful, actually, by modern standards – one needs energy of 450kw,” Khodarenok said. “Ideally, a laser system needs a capacitor able to charge as fast as the system itself uses it. It would allow it to use lasers in combat continuously.”

Laser systems are also quite sensitive to transparency of the atmosphere, as bad weather or mere smoke greatly affects their performance (at least at this stage). Laser beams – like any light – tend to dissipate with distance, and for now, “combat range might be limited to several dozen kilometers,” Khodarenok added.

What exactly does Russia have in stock?

Russia adopted a new “battle laser complex,” dubbed Peresvet, last year, yet little is known about what exactly the system is capable of. The complex is mounted on a wheeled vehicle, featuring a cannon-like laser emitter and a large container, presumably holding its power source.

It is not known if the device can “blind” optics or actually melt holes in something, and it’s not even known what exactly – land or air units – it’s supposed to target. In the Soviet era, the country fielded a handful of laser weaponry prototypes, primarily blinding devices, designed to target the enemy’s optics. The last Soviet weapon of this type, the 1K17 Szhatie, was produced shortly before the collapse of the country and never entered into mass production.

What about other countries?

The US has been experimenting with lasers for decades as well, trying to fit them into various combat roles. While repeated attempts to create an aircraft-based system were not very fruitful, the US successfully fielded and tested several prototypes of ground vehicles and naval systems. One of the newest is the MEHEL laser system, mounted on a Stryker APC, which has successfully shot down a number of light drones during testing.

Another major power – China – is not sitting idle either. Beijing puts “experimental systems on ships, coastal platforms, self-propelled chassis. One of the Chinese lasers has reportedly hit an unmanned aerial vehicle some 300 meters away,” Khodarenok said.

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French police have arrested a 27yo ‘assassin’ armed with two hidden blades, a sapper shovel and a pair of pruning shears, who said he was just a cosplay fan taking a stroll during the Yellow Vests protest in Paris.

With his black hood and military backpack, Thomas G. immediately aroused suspicion from a Champs-Élysées police brigade which was carrying out preventive checks in the Saint-Lazare area ahead of the Yellow Vests protest on Saturday. When the officers approached the odd-looking individual, he tried to flee but was quickly restrained.

Attached to his arms with elastic tape and hidden under his jacket, the officers discovered two 30cm blades. The devices were designed to quickly slide out in a manner worthy of the Assassin’s Creed video game series. Police also found two balaclavas, sunglasses, pruning shears, and a sapper shovel, as well as a DSPAP police patch, local media reported.

During questioning, the Hauts-de-Seine native claimed that he was just a “cosplay” enthusiast and a big fan of law enforcement, telling officers that he is keen to become a security assistant (ADS) one day.

“This guy had come to do damage to my colleagues,” Rocco Contento, the head of the SGP police force unit, said. “He would have been ready to hurt or even kill one.”

The suspect was placed in custody before the public prosecutor takes over the case, local media reports. Carrying blade weapons in public without a legitimate reason in France is punishable by up to one year in prison and a €15,000 fine.

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The Israeli broadcaster of the Eurovision said Iceland could be punished for holding up Palestinian flags during live coverage of the competition’s voting results.

Members of the Hatari group held up Palestinian flags with ‘Palestine’ written on them as the cameras were fixed on them during the announcement of their public votes at the final on Saturday night. The protest generated boos and cheers from the crowd at the Tel Aviv event, and support online.

Security quickly confiscated the flags from the band who were sitting in the green room at the time.

“The Icelanders will apparently be punished by the European Broadcasting Union, which is really not tolerant of those who violate its rules,” said Eldad Koblenz, CEO of Israel’s public broadcaster Khan.

Eurovision is meant to be non-political, so contestants could be disqualified or fined for breaking this rule. The EBU said that the move “directly contradicts the contest rules.”

“The banners were quickly removed and the consequences of this action will be discussed by the Reference Group [the event’s executive board] after the contest,” the EBU added.

Hatari were outspoken about their support for Palestinians before the international event, and said they were “conflicted” about taking part. They visited Hebron in the West Bank during the contest and told a Eurovision fan blog that the “apartheid” and “segregation was so clear” there.

While the group received praise for its protest, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) said that because Iceland had attended the contest instead of boycotting it, it was rejecting “this fig-leafing.”

Madonna also featured a Palestinian flag in her performance at the event. Two of her dancers wore a Palestinian and Israeli flag on their backs and held hands in a surprise addition to the routine that had not been cleared by the EBU or Kan.

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President Donald Trump has warned Tehran that it would be “the official end” of the Islamic Republic if it threatens the US, just as Washington builds up its military presence near Iran under the pretext of national security.

It’s unclear what triggered the US leader this time around, as Iranian officials have consistently said in recent days that they want to avoid a military confrontation with the US. Earlier on Sunday, the commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards, Major General Hossein Salami, insisted that Iran only wants peace, but isn’t afraid to fight America.

Earlier, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also said there will be no war in the Persian Gulf. However, he added that Tehran won’t be involved in talks on a new nuclear deal with the US.

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The Trump administration has recently been increasing pressure on Iran with sanctions and a military buildup near its territorial waters. The US and its allies began enhanced maritime security patrols in the international waters of the Persian Gulf this week after Washington beefed up its Fifth fleet.

A USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group was deployed to the Persian Gulf and B-52 bombers were sent on patrol in the area in a move to send a message to Tehran.

Tensions in the region escalated after the US started building up its military presence, citing “a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings” coming from the Iranian side. It has not yet been revealed what led to the escalation, with various media reports suggesting versions from misunderstanding to Israeli influence.

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A rocket was fired into Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone where the embassies of the US and other countries are located, the Iraqi military said, adding that casualties were avoided in the incident.

“A Katyusha rocket fell in the middle of the Green Zone without causing any losses, details to come later,” a statement by the military read.

“Initial reports indicate that the rocket was fired from an open field” in the southern part of the Iraqi capital, a police source told AFP.

There was a loud bang, the witnesses said, adding that sirens briefly sounded in the city after the attack.

The Katyusha is multiple rocket launcher, which was developed in the Soviet Union during the World War II. The cheap and effective systems that could be mounted on ordinary trucks were further developed after the war. They were supplied to many countries, including Iraq.

The incident occurred amid the rising tensions between the US and Iraqi neighbor, Iran. Washington has recently deployed an aircraft carrier group and sent B-52 bombers on patrol there in a move to intimidate Tehran.

Despite both sides assuring that there’ll be no war, major US energy company Exxon Mobil evacuated around 60 of its foreign staff from the oilfield in southern Iraq as a precautionary measure earlier this week. Baghdad slammed the move as “politically motivated,” insisting that the employees were out of danger.

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The US and its allies began enhanced maritime security patrols in the international waters of the Persian Gulf , amid Washington’s tensions with Iran.

The Countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) were “specifically increasing communication and coordination with each other in support of regional naval cooperation and maritime security operations in the Arabian Gulf,” Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet said in a statement on Facebook.

The navies and coast guards of the Arab states “are working in tight coordination with each other and the United States Navy,” it added.

The GCC, which has its headquarters in Riyadh, unites Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

Tensions have been high in the Persian Gulf recently as the US has deployed an aircraft carrier group and sent B-52 bombers on patrol there in a move to intimidate Iran.

On Sunday, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, whose deployment to the region prompted concerns of military action, carried out exercises in the Gulf to underline its “lethality and agility to respond to [a] threat.”

Despite the heavy military build-up, the US keeps assuring that it is not a sign of war preparation. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, has said that the Kingdom didn’t want a military conflict, but was eager to defend itself from Iran.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commander, on his part, insisted that Tehran wanted only peace, but wasn’t afraid to fight the Americans and their allies.

Earlier, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that there will be no war in the Gulf, but added that Tehran also won’t get involved in negotiating a new nuclear deal with Washington.

The Trump administration has been pressuring Iran in order to sign a border agreement that would include not only its nuclear program but ballistic missile developments as well.

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In a national referendum, Switzerland overwhelmingly voted to approve tighter gun control measures and bring them more in line with stricter EU rules following a number of terrorist incidents across Europe.

Residents of Italian-speaking Ticino canton were the only ones to reject the stricter rules on handling firearms after 63.7 percent of the country voted to amend the nation’s relatively liberal gun policies, which in the past somewhat mirrored gun laws in the US.

Switzerland, whose population owns roughly 42 guns per 100 residents, allows adults to purchase semi-automatic rifles and hollow-point ammunition for hunting through easily obtainable weapon acquisition permits, but requires special permits to buy automatic weapons, suppressors, and laser sights.

Following Sunday’s referendum, which witnessed 43.9 percent turnout, ownership of semi-automatic weapons will now require mandatory regular firearm training and serial numbering of gun parts to track them. Weapons will also have to be registered.

Over 875,000 weapons were registered in Switzerland by August 2017 to 279,000 owners, while it is believed that civilians are in possession of between 2.3 million and 3.4 million firearms. Despite the massive presence of firearms in a country of just under 9 million people, the gun homicide rate in Switzerland is very low, with 0.5 cases per 100,000 people.

Despite the exemplary gun heritage, Switzerland, which is not part of the EU but part of the Schengen visa-free travel zone security agreement, was urged by the EU to tighten its laws in line with rules adopted by the bloc following the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks.

Prior to the referendum, the Swiss government warned voters that a rejection of this new legislation could result in the exclusion of the country from the Schengen zone. Opponents slammed the government’s drive for stricter gun control, arguing that “EU-dictated” measures amount to “disarming” Switzerland through “useless, dangerous, un-Swiss” requirements.

“With no effect on the fight against terrorism, it will only hit honest, law-abiding citizens who possess legal weapons (so, us!),” Jean-Luc Addor, a Swiss People’s Party lawmaker, wrote on his website. “It’s the epitome of injustice.”

“Too bad that the population has followed the argument of fear with Schengen. It’s a bit unfortunate, but we accept the result,” Olivia de Weck, vice president of lobby group ProTell, said.

“Today, I am sad because our freedoms have declined,” Jean-Luc Addor, MP from the Swiss People’s Party, said, noting that the new rules will “push back the freedoms and advance the police state.”

The strong firearms culture in Switzerland is closely linked to the country’s national defense service. Most men between the ages of 18 and 30 are subject to compulsory military service for three weeks a year and are allowed to keep the weapon assigned to them once they go home. Gun ownership is so ingrained in the Swiss DNA that any national aged 10 or older can shoot rifles at any federal range free of charge.

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Indian police raided a home in New Delhi to rescue a wealthy businessman who was taken hostage by a group of women over alleged sexual abuse. Rape is a major problem in India, as well as the growing number of false accusations.

The managing director of a Mumbai-based marine engineering company was kidnapped during a business trip to the capital, police were informed on Friday. It was soon established via CCTV footage that the 64-year-old left his five-star hotel accompanied by two women and departed in a Hyundai Verna vehicle.

The abductors repeatedly called company officials, demanding ransom of 3 million rupees (US$42,600), using WhatsApp to conceal their identities, a police source told the Times of India.

Meanwhile, having identified the vehicle’s license plates, the officers traced the address of the owner. The man was home and confessed to being part of the plot, saying that he was just seeking to make some easy cash. He apparently told police the place where the businessman was being held.

During a raid on the kidnappers’ hideout in Laxmi Nagar district in the east of the capital on Saturday, four women and two men, including the car’s owner, were arrested. Their identities haven’t been disclosed due to the ongoing investigation.

The senior manager was discovered locked in one of the rooms. He explained that he was invited to Laxmi Nagar by two women, one of whom he knew beforehand. But once they arrived, two more females appeared and accused him of raping one of their daughters, demanding ransom for his freedom.

The businessman, whose identity has not been revealed, denies all allegations and it’s not yet clear if police will be looking into the sexual assault accusations of the kidnappers.

Sexual assault, including gang rape, has become an epidemic in India in recent years, with harsh new laws introduced to make the environment safer for women. But it seems to have backfired with a wave of false accusations often made to settle scores after failed relationships or for personal gain.

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The situation became so dire that a #MenToo movement was sparked in the country in order to protect slandered males. Those behind it stage rallies, demanding the identities of men who face sexual assault accusations remain undisclosed until legal proceedings against them are concluded. The activists also want women who make rape accusations, only to withdraw them when asked to appear before the magistrate, to be investigated.

#MenToo is a response to the #MeToo international movement for woman’s rights that picked up in India last year after actress Tanushree Dutta accused Bollywood veteran Nana Patekar of sexual harassment. This was followed by claims of abuse against a number of politicians and celebrities, leading to several resignations and arrests.

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India’s ruling National Democratic Alliance headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party is on course to win the general election by a substantial margin, multiple exit polls indicate.

The world’s largest democracy, with nearly 900 million eligible voters, finished its complicated, weeks-long, multi-stage election process on Sunday to decide who sits in India’s 543-member lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha.

While the final results will not be officially announced until May 23, multiple exit polls show that Modi will most likely secure his second five-year term as prime minister after a strong performance by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in an epic clash with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) led by Rahul Gandhi from the Indian National Congress (INC) party.

The India Today/Axis My India poll predicts the NDA will win between 339 and 369 seats, while the UPA will be able to secure between 77 to 108 seats in 2019 Lok Sabha election. Times Now telecast shows the NDA can secure as many as 306 seats, while the leftist coalition is on course to win 132 seats. Another prediction by CVoter-Republic shows 287 and 128 seats for the NDA and UPA respectively. CNN News18/Ipsos survey says that BJP-led alliance can expect to gain 336 seats.

The Nielsen/ABP news channel poll was the only one to show that the ruling coalition would fall short of a 272-seat majority, with 267 seats.

Modi wooed the public by presenting himself as an anti-corruption candidate with a pro-business outlook, who will safeguard the Hindu way of life and remain firm on protecting India’s sovereignty, as recent violence with neighboring Pakistan showed.

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Gandhi, a secular, socialist party candidate, pledged to protect India’s minorities and improve life for the poor. The 48-year-old also rallied support from the public as an experienced politician from the Nehru-Gandhi family, which has occupied a prominent place in the politics of India since the country’s inception in 1947 when his great-grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, became Lok Sabha’s first prime minister.

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Austrian prosecutors have examined the scandalous videotape which cost vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache his job and said they couldn’t find any grounds to launch an investigation over its content.

“There’s no specific proof of a crime being committed coming from this [the video],” Oesterreich 1 radio revealed, citing the statement from the prosecutors.

The Justice Ministry’s General Secretary Christian Pilnacek earlier warned that there were only extracts of the footage available, which would make it impossible to assess the full context of what was going on.

A major political crisis unfolded in Austria on Friday after German papers, Spiegel and Suddeutsche Zeitung, published a video of Strache and another high-ranking member of his rightwing populist Freedom Party (FPO), Johann Gudenus, talking to a woman who claimed to be a “niece of a Russian oligarch.”

They discussed how the woman could support their campaign during the 2017 general election in Austria in exchange for future preferences in getting government contracts in the field of construction. One of the things on the agenda was her buying a majority share in a tabloid newspaper to use it as a platform to promote the FPO.

Strache called the leak of the footage a “political assassination,” announcing resignations from both the position of vice-chancellor and party’s leader. He didn’t dispute the authenticity of the tape. On the contrary, the 49-year-old insisted that it should be made public in its entirety so that everyone could see that he maintained during the meeting that at all the assistance could only be provided “within the law.”

After the news broke, thousands took to the streets of Vienna, demanding a snap election, with Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen later suggesting that the vote should take place in early September.

Suddeutsche Zeitung identified the woman speaking to the Strache and Gudenus in the video as the niece of gas tycoon Igor Makarov. But the businessman denied those claims, saying that he had no family links to that woman and was “an only child” in his family.

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