A Russian fighter jet buzzed a US destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, for about 90 minutes in the Black Sea. Apparently, the fighter made 12 passes over the Cook at a height of about 500 feet and within 1,000 feet of the destroyer. The fighter did not respond to radio messages. It’s unlikely that the pilot of the fighter was acting on his own (although not impossible) and it’s fairly clear that Russia does not welcome the US naval presence in the Black Sea. But additional US vessels are scheduled to join the Cook, and the cat and mouse maneuvers will likely be repeated. Let’s hope that everyone keeps cool.
There was a devastating bomb explosion at a bus station in Abuja, Nigeria that killed 72 people and injured scores more. The President on Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, blamed Boko Haram for the blast and given the recent spike in violence in Nigeria, the accusation is plausible. The violence has led to a state of emergency in Nigeria as Boko Haram seeks to establish an Islamic state. There is also increasing concern that the violence may spread to neighboring states as Boko Haram seeks refuge and supplies to continue its campaign.
Global military spending decreased by 1.9 percent in 2013 to a total of $1.75 trillion. US military spending declined by 7.8 percent, but that decline was offset by spending by China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, and if the US is excluded from the calculation, global military spending actually increased by 1.8 percent.
World Politics News 
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