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08:04 23.4.2026 Panama condemned the seizure of a ship flying its flag as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz, calling it an “illegal detention.” According to media reports, Panama’s Foreign Ministry has announced that the ship, the MSC-Francesca, was “forcibly” transferred to Iranian waters. Panama also accused Iran of violating international law, saying the move was a “serious attack on maritime security” and an “unnecessary escalation” of tensions. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced on April 22 that it had seized “two offending ships” that it claimed were attempting to “secretly exit” the Strait of Hormuz. According…

Federal workforce modernization has been a long-time goal at the Office of Personnel Management — and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. In its fiscal 2027 congressional budget justification, published earlier this month, OPM outlined plans to prioritize spending on overhauling the government’s HR IT systems, bringing federal hiring into the modern era, and further digitizing the retirement process. Still, the Trump administration’s topline request of $375 million in discretionary spending for OPM represents a decrease from the agency’s currently enacted spending levels. It’s also $43 million below the House Appropriations Committee’s proposed $418 million for OPM’s budget.…

On April 23, the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) conducted a large-scale combat exercise in the Java Sea, featuring a sinking exercise (SINKEX) as part of a broader live-fire drill involving naval and air assets. This marks the first SINKEX since May 2024. The target vessel was the decommissioned Frosch-class landing ship tank (LST) KRI Teluk Hading (538), which previously served with the East German Navy before being acquired by Indonesia in the 1990s. The vessel was sunk by a French-made Exocet MM40 Block 3 anti-ship missile launched from a SIGMA 10514-class frigate KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai (332). KRI I…

People’s Daily Online (Xinhua) 13:35, April 23, 2026 WASHINGTON, April 22 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump did not view Iran’s seizure of two European ships by force near the Strait of Hormuz as a breach of the extended U.S. ceasefire with Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday. “These were not U.S. ships. These were not Israeli ships. These were two international vessels,” she said on Fox News. “These two ships were taken by speedy gunboats. Iran has gone from having the most lethal navy in the Middle East to now acting like a bunch of…

US Air Force F-16 Block 70 fighter jet. Credit: Sanit Fuangnakhon/Shutterstock.com. The US Embassy in Peru has confirmed that Peru selected Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Block 70 fighter jets, ending uncertainty over the status of the deal.  Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but Reuters reported that Peru’s government made a $462m payment on 22 April 2026, as the first instalment. Discover B2B Marketing That Performs Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms. Find out more The F-16 Block 70 is among the most advanced fourth-generation fighter aircraft, featuring advanced…

MIMOS International Venture Sdn Bhd (MIVSB), the strategic commercialization arm for MIMOS Berhad, and HAVELSAN, a global leader in defense and information technologies, today announced a comprehensive Teaming Agreement to be signed between the parties.A Synergy of Innovation and CapabilityThe agreement establishes a framework for the two organizations to co-develop a robust national ecosystem dedicated to localized foundational AI. This initiative integrates critical capabilities across infrastructure, technology, and market engagement, combining MIMOS’ deep-tech innovation base with HAVELSAN’s proven expertise in software-intensive systems and operational architectures.This initiative aligns with Malaysia’s aspiration of becoming a Digital Nation and supports the vision of…

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship heads to the OCC Road House & Museum in Clearwater, Florida, for a loaded BKFC Fight Night card headlined by a can’t-miss bantamweight showdown. In the evening’s main event, Quentin Gaskins (2-1) will square off with Matt Guymon (2-2) after the originally scheduled headliner between Jared Warren and Conor Cooke was scrapped. Gaskins goes into the contest fresh off a first-round finish against Phil Caracappa in October, while Guymon looks to climb back into the win column after dropping a decision to Jamel Herring in January. Also on tap is a bantamweight bout between Ryan Reber…

The Defence Services Asia (DSA) exhibition officially opened on 20 April 2026 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur, inaugurated by Malaysia’s Minister of Defence. Recognised as one of the largest and most influential defence and security events in the Asia-Pacific region, this year’s edition brings together more than 1,200 companies from over 60 countries, alongside high-level military delegations and government officials, after the organiser. Against a backdrop of evolving regional security dynamics, DSA 2026 highlights key trends shaping the defence landscape, including the growing emphasis on unmanned systems, cyber defence capabilities, and multi-domain operations.…

Ministry of National Defense of the People’s Republic of China Source： Xinhuanet Editor：Lin Congyi Time：2026-04-23 08:39:07 PHNOM PENH, April 22 (Xinhua) — The first meeting between foreign ministers and defense ministers of China and Cambodia under the “2+2” strategic dialogue mechanism was held here in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, on Wednesday, aiming at enhancing bilateral cooperation in various fields. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Defense Minister Dong Jun co-chaired the meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn and Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Seiha. The two sides…

Jon Jones may be a heavyweight fighter, but he’s still not big enough to take care of “The Beast Incarnate” known as Brock Lesnar.While Jones and Lesnar competed in two separate weight classes when they shared the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) roster there now exists a world in which “Bones” and the former WWE champion could meet. That would be on the wrestling mat under the growing banner that is Real American Freestyle (RAF).Of course, a wrestling superfight between Jones and Lesnar is unlikely to happen anytime soon. That’s because both superstars would need a bankroll that RAF probably doesn’t…