Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

Little is known of Wilhelm Smith’s background, save that he was born on April 10, 1870, in a German Empire that would formally unite in the following year. Since then, he emigrated to the United States and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. By January 1916, he was serving as a gunner’s mate third class aboard the battleship New York (BB-34), one of the most up-to-date and powerful warships of its kind. For all that, though, New York was served by a variety of seamen and engineers in an often claustrophobic labyrinth of chambers and passageways. On Jan. 24, 1916, one…

Gentex Corporation, a global leader in personal protection and situational awareness solutions for defense forces, emergency responders, and industrial personnel, announced the launch of the Ops-Core Voice Projection Unit (VPU), an innovative accessory designed to enhance mission-critical communication for tactical operators. The VPU is an optional add-on for the Ops-Core Special Operations Tactical Respirator (SOTR) half mask with microphone. Engineered to project the wearer’s voice clearly and audibly, the VPU offers three volume levels to adapt to diverse tactical scenarios. This groundbreaking solution ensures seamless communication and coordination among team members, even when operating off comms. “Clear communication is critical…

Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano will collide in a blockbuster main event for Netflix’s debut MMA event on May 16. In assocation with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), Neflix will be putting on an absolutely huge card later this year featuring the mixed martial arts returns of both Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano. Rousey last competed nearly ten years ago in a one-sided TKO defeat to Amanda Nunes, whereas Carano’s last fight took place all the way back in August 2009 when she was also beaten by TKO, but in this instance, by Cris Cyborg. Ronda Rousey went on to enjoy…

LOS ANGELES — Robert Duvall, the Oscar-winning actor of matchless versatility and dedication whose classic roles included the intrepid consigliere of the first two “Godfather” movies and the over-the-hill country music singer in “Tender Mercies,” has died at age 95.Duvall died “peacefully” at his home Sunday in Middleburg, Virginia, according to an announcement from his publicist and from a statement posted on his Facebook page by his wife, Luciana Duvall.“To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller. To me, he was simply everything,” Luciana Duvall wrote. “His passion for his craft was matched only by…

The WordPress AI Assistant is now available on WordPress.com. If you’ve used our AI website builder, you already know how easy it is to create a full site by having a conversation. Now, that same intelligence stays with you inside the editor and Media Library.  Unlike standalone AI tools, the WordPress AI Assistant works inside your site. It understands your content and layout and can take action where you’re already building — no copy-pasting, no prompt engineering, and no code to figure out what to do with. Sites on WordPress.com’s Business or Commerce plans can now opt into the WordPress…

Two legends of the sport will collide on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. In a stunning announcement on Tuesday, Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix announced that former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will return to the cage to take on fellow pioneer Gina Carano.Two MMA legends are coming to Netflix.RONDA ROUSEY vs. GINA CARANOSaturday May 16LIVE only on Netflix#RouseyCarano pic.twitter.com/zqdSC7l4in— Netflix (@netflix) February 17, 2026 A LEGACY SHOWDOWN 🔥 #RouseyCarano RONDA ROUSEY vs. GINA CARANOSaturday May 16LIVE only on Netflix pic.twitter.com/cybtQHNyPT— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) February 17, 2026 Rousey, 39, last fought in December 2016, losing…

SINGAPORE — Australia is one of the pioneers exploring collaborative combat aircraft, or CCAs, as it throws its full weight behind Boeing Defence Australia’s MQ-28A Ghost Bat platform.The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) already has eight Block 1 aircraft in testing. In addition, the first of three Block 2 aircraft ordered in February 2024 is currently performing ground testing and will fly soon, according to the manufacturer.On Dec. 9, 2025, Boeing Defence Australia announced the RAAF had ordered seven additional Ghost Bats. This third tranche worth AUS$754 million (US$534 million) entails six CCAs in Block 2 configuration plus the first-ever…

In recent decades, the High North has played an increasingly important role in Russian strategic thinking. The region hosts an array of Russian military capabilities, including many of the country’s nuclear assets; provides a rich resource base for the Russian economy; and offers a gateway to strategically important sea lines of communication and transit routes that Russia expects will become increasingly contested because of the effects of climate change. Meanwhile, the accession of Finland and Sweden to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)—on April 4, 2023, and March 7, 2024, respectively—has more than doubled Russia’s land border with the NATO…

On February 14, 2026, the official representation of Denmark in Canada announced a new defence cooperation agreement inked by Denmark and Canada in Munich Via Danish embassy in Canada Denmark’s Minister of Defence, Troels Lund Poulsen, together with his colleagues Sirið Stenberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Culture of the Faroe Islands and Vivian Motzfeldt, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Research of Greenland, signed a defence cooperation agreement with David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence of Canada, in Munich today. The agreement strengthens cooperation between the Kingdom of Denmark and Canada in a number of areas including defence innovation,…

Attributing Russian Information Influence Operations: Testing the Information Influence Attribution Framework with real-world case studies | Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University wpDiscuzInsert