Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

Over the last ten weeks, analysts have debated whether the United States was justified in extracting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from Caracas. Washington’s defenders point out that Maduro was an authoritarian whose terrible policies immiserated Venezuelans and sent millions fleeing into neighboring countries. Its critics, meanwhile, note that the United States violated Venezuela’s territorial integrity, running afoul of international law. Both sides make strong points: Maduro’s leadership was illegitimate, yes, but so was Washington’s intervention.Ultimately, it is good for Venezuela that Maduro is gone. But his tenure should not have ended like this—and it didn’t have to. When Maduro brazenly…

Global Times By Wang Qi Published: Mar 12, 2026 12:11 AM The US-Israeli military strikes against Iran have entered 12th day with mounting civilian casualties, global oil prices lingering at high level and deepening risks of a full blown regional conflicts. As the conflict drags on with the potential turning into an “endless war,” the US administration is also facing more domestic differing voices, meanwhile, US President Donald Trump again signaled that the war with Iran will end “soon.” Against this backdrop, China has stepped up shuttle diplomacy to push for an immediate ceasefire and a political settlement. According to…

ROME — Leonardo will see annual orders of €32 billion ($37 billion) a year by 2030, up from €23.8 billion last year, the firm said on Thursday as it announced a bullish new industrial plan reflecting soaring global defense spending.The Italian state-controlled firm will see revenue leap 50% by 2030, reaching €30 billion from last year’s €19.5 billion, it predicted.During a presentation in Rome, CEO Roberto Cingolani said the company would up its focus on cyber security and digitalization as well its new Michelangelo Dome, a multi-layered air defense system which should yield €21 billion in new business in the…

Metal packaging input costs remain under pressure in 2026, as tariffs on aluminum and tinplate steel imports hold firm and the Midwest Premium passed a new milestone. The U.S. Supreme Court’s Feb. 20 decision invalidating wide-reaching tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not affect the main Section 232 tariffs on metal packaging inputs, nor did a subsequent 10% “global tariff” enacted by the Trump administration stack on top of the 50% duties under Section 232. There were rumors in mid-February that the Trump administration might alleviate aluminum and tinplate steel tariffs, though the administration denied them and has not…

An estimated 137,000 civilians may soon receive bills for medical care they received at military treatment facilities over the last three years, according to Defense Health Agency officials. Those civilians, who aren’t eligible beneficiaries of military medical care, include a variety of people, from Department of Defense civilian employees to other civilians who received emergency and trauma treatment at any military treatment or clinic, both overseas and stateside, since June 21, 2023.Military medical facilities can provide care to individuals who aren’t eligible beneficiaries in certain circumstances, by law, usually on a reimbursable basis. But the high cost of medical care…

On March 12, 2026, Lockheed Martin announced the successful completion of the first flight test of the PrSM Increment 2 missile, which is capable of engaging moving targets in the maritime domain. Lockheed Martin press release In a major milestone for the U.S. Army’s long-range fires program, Lockheed Martin completed the first flight test of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 2, demonstrating its new multi-mode seeker and ability to engage moving maritime targets. The missile met test objectives in a 350-km flight launching from a HIMARS, deploying protective covers and capturing a suite of performance data that will be used…

WARSAW, Poland — Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced he will veto a bill to implement the European Union’s Security Action For Europe (SAFE) scheme which foresees around €43.7 billion ($50.3 billion) in low-cost loans for Poland’s military.The development represents the latest tit-for-tat move in right-wing Nawrocki’s ongoing row with the centrist government that says it will absorb the loans for defense acquisitions anyway.In a televised speech aired on March 12, the president said legislation passed by the Polish parliament about utilizing the loan “threatens our sovereignty, independence, or economic and military security.”“SAFE is a mechanism through which Brussels can withhold…

Introduction: The Prediction Confirmed Two weeks ago, in “We Bombed the Wrong Target,” I argued that Operation Epic Fury had addressed the headline, Iran’s nuclear program, while leaving the story largely untouched: Tehran’s regional proxy network and its underlying strategy of asymmetric resistance. I warned that “the United States has addressed the headline. It now faces the story, and it does not appear to have a strategy ready for it.” That assessment has aged poorly only in one sense: the situation has deteriorated faster than anticipated. Fourteen days into Operation Epic Fury, seven American service members are dead and approximately…

This is a developing story. Four U.S. service members were killed on Thursday when a U.S. Air Force KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed during ongoing combat operations against Iran, U.S. Central Command confirmed. Two more crew members have yet to be accounted for. “At approximately 2 pm ET on March 12, a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq,” a CENTCOM release on Friday stated. “Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased.” In a press briefing Friday alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine stated the military…

Talking at the 2026 Industrial Plan Presentation, Roberto Cingolani, the company CEO, depicted Leonardo evolution in the 2022-2025 period, based on expanded and rationalised portfolio with a focus on servitization, strategic partnerships, accelerated digitalisation, capacity boost to increase production and accelerate deliveries, cost optimisation and disciplined product capital allocation click on image to enlarge Introducing his presentation Roberto Cingolani rapidly highlighted the progresses registered by the Leonardo group from FY 2022 to FY 2025. Manpower grew from 51,392 to 62,762 while the group sites stepped up from 105 to 131 throughout the world. Considering Italy, the UK, the US and…