Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

The Norwegian Defence Materiel Administration (FMA) has awarded a contract to the consortium formed by Salt Ship Design and Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace (Salt & KDA) for the design and concept development of the Norwegian Armed Forces’ new standardized vessel class. The contract marks an important milestone in the development of future maritime capabilities for the Royal Norwegian Navy. Norwegian Defence Materiel Administration press release – Translated by Naval News Standardized vessels are one of the most extensive maritime development and new acquisition projects in the defense sector, and a central part of the Armed Forces’ Long-Term Plan and the…

Firearm violence occurs disproportionately in Black communities. This review of articles focuses on that impact and is intended to support effective public safety strategies and future firearm research. Despite limitations in the available evidence, it is clear that increases in firearm violence are associated with adverse mental health, physical health, educational, and economic outcomes. This publication is part of the RAND research report series. Research reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND research reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.This document…

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (‘KONGSBERG’) and Salt Ship Design (‘SALT’) have jointly won the contract to design the new standardised vessels for the Norwegian Navy. The Norwegian Defence Material Agency (NDMA) announced today that SALT and KONGSBERG have been awarded a contract to develop a design concept for standardised vessels. The companies have worked closely for years to secure a Norwegian programme, while also pursuing a international opportunities. “This marks an important step forward for KONGSBERG and the Norwegian defence and maritime industry, and we look forward to contributing our expertise and technology to develop the standardised vessels of the…

Pictured: Ajax armoured fighting vehicle tested at Army Trials Unit facility in Bovington, 23 August 2023. Credit: Crown copyright / UK Ministry of Defence. Alternative platforms were considered to replace the British Army Ajax, should the Ministry of Defence decide to end the programme after so long Other platforms may include the AMPV, CV90 or Puma Minister promises he will “outline next steps” to Parliament after Easter recess from 13 April While investigators scrutinise the British Army’s Ajax armoured vehicles due to enduring technical defects, one UK minister confirmed that several alternative platforms have been assessed in the event that…

Munich, Germany, 30 March 2026 – The Airbus ‘Bird of Prey’ interceptor drone successfully completed its first demonstration flight at a military training area in northern Germany. In a realistic mission scenario, it autonomously searched, detected and classified a medium-sized one-way attack (kamikaze) drone. After successful identification, the Bird of Prey interceptor engaged the target with a Mark I air-to-air missile developed by defence tech start-up partner Frankenburg Technologies.“Against the current geopolitical and military backdrop, defending against kamikaze drones is a tactical priority that urgently needs to be tackled,” said Mike Schoellhorn, CEO Airbus Defence and Space. “With our Bird…

In 2026, WordPress design is shifting toward AI-assisted building, more dynamic, app-like sites, and a renewed focus on ownership. Based on conversations with WordPress experts, a few clear shifts are already shaping how sites are built: from websites behaving more like apps to AI speeding up site creation. To understand the WordPress design trends shaping 2026, we spoke with Allan Cole from the WordPress.com Special Projects design team, Pablo Moratinos, a WordPress.com brand ambassador, and other WordPress design experts. 1. WordPress development is moving from coding to prompting Building a website feature used to mean opening a blank code file.…

The Aviation Funding Solvency Act. The Keep America Flying Act. The Keep Air Travel Safe Act. The Aviation Funding Stability Act. Again and again, members of Congress have dusted off the same idea: ensuring the federal employees who control air traffic and screen passengers and bags at U.S. airports get paid during government shutdowns. Bills to make it happen keep getting introduced in one form or another, sometimes with Democrats and Republicans as co-sponsors. Yet session after session, the result has been the same — agencies receive their annual appropriations, public outrage over long security lines and flight delays fades,…

Iran Press TV Thursday, 26 March 2026 10:21 PM Hezbollah resistance fighters destroyed at least 21 Israeli military Merkava tanks across southern Lebanon and northern occupied Palestine over 24 hours on Wednesday, in what is being described as a new “Merkava massacre.” By Thursday morning, the group reported achieving direct hits on at least 20 more Merkava tanks, bringing the total number of Merkava tanks taken out since March 2 to at least 73. On Thursday, dozens more Merkava tanks were successfully targeted and destroyed by Hezbollah fighters, taking the total number close to 100, as per informed sources. As…

Global Times By Global Times Published: Mar 28, 2026 06:21 PM China and the Philippines reaffirmed their commitment to advancing dialogue and stabilizing bilateral relations, as Manila reiterated its adherence to the one-China policy and stated that it does not recognize Taiwan as a “sovereign state,” according to a statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Saturday after a new round of diplomatic consultations. On Saturday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong co-chaired the 24th China-Philippines Foreign Ministry Consultations (FMC) with Undersecretary for Policy of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Leo M. Herrera-Lim in Quanzhou, East…

France – Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères Under the French Presidency of the G7, the first formal G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held on 26 and 27 March 2026, at the Abbaye des Vaux-de-Cernay, in the Yvelines Department (78). In a context marked by a fragmentation of the international order and an outbreak of conflicts and hybrid threats, this event was held in line with France’s aim to make the G7 a space for dialogue and consultation for the major global economies. It is an important step in preparing G7’s response to geopolitical issues, two and a half…