Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

Last month, Japanese media reported new scheduling details for a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) port facility planned for Amami Oshima, the largest island in the Amami archipelago located between Kyushu and Okinawa and considered a strategic site for maritime surveillance in the Pacific Ocean and logistical support to Japan’s southwestern Nansei Islands.According to the regional news report,[1] the Japanese Ministry of Defense (JMOD) plans to seek approval by the end of fiscal year 2025 to reclaim land for the project from sections of Koniya Port in Setouchi Town, a locality situated in the southern part of Amami Oshima.Redevelopment of…

Sean O’Malley was back in action at UFC 324, taking a big decision win over Song Yadong to put himself back in the title picture at bantamweight. But if the UFC wants him back in the cage for anything other than another championship fight, they’re gonna have to pay him more.That’s the word from O’Malley, who went on the Ariel Helwani Show and discussed his contractual status with the promotion and what’s next for him in his career.“You know, you sign a contract and you fight, you have a certain amount of fights on your contract, and it’s hard once…

Veterans Affairs Department employees are requesting additional services and memorials from management after a nurse at the agency was fatally shot by federal officers this weekend, but so far have received minimal communication. Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, was an intensive care unit nurse at the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis before he was killed on Saturday. Pretti gathered with other protestors as Border Patrol was conducting what it called a targeted operation to detain an individual it said was in the country illegally. Pretti kept a firearm holstered and approached the officers holding his phone before he was taken to the…

Paris/France, 23 January 2026 An important milestone for Horizon Mid-Life-Upgrade (MLU) Programme has been reached with the installation of the Kronos Grand Naval radar at the Shore Integration Facility (SIF) in Saint-Mandrier (Direction Générale de l’Armement – DGA – Site d’Expérimentation des Systèmes de Défense Aérienne – SESDA) The first Kronos Grand Naval (KGN, provided by Leonardo) was shipped and installed on the DGA Shore Integration Facility (SIF) in Saint-Mandrier, France, on the 17th December 2025. This is a major highlight of the Horizon-MLU co-operative Programme, and a critical prerequisite to begin the qualification and acceptance of the PAAMS at…

JERUSALEM — The Trophy Active Protection System, originally developed by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, will be supplied for Leopard 2 A8 Main Battle Tanks used by NATO members Lithuania, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Croatia, the company announced.  The deal is valued at approximately $390 million, Rafael said in a press release on Friday. The multi-nation contract was signed between EuroTrophy GmbH and KNDS Deutschland, Rafael said. EuroTrophy was incorporated in 2022 by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) and Rafael to market and produce the Trophy. KNDS is the name of the company that resulted…

Toulouse, France, 27 January 2026 – Airbus will launch its first Pléiades Neo Next satellite early 2028 from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The satellite will be launched on an Avio’s Vega C rocket.With the Pléiades Neo Next programme, Airbus is reinforcing its Earth Observation capabilities and services to remain at the forefront of geospatial technologies. This new programme will result in new satellite assets and capabilities, including 20-cm-class native resolution.“The Pléiades Neo Next programme builds on the success of our existing Pléiades Neo constellation which serves government and commercial customers around the world,” said Eric Even, Head…

The impact of climate change in our current times is noticeable at both global and national levels. It creates conflicts and dilemmas for states, governments, and other key organisations. The growing complexity of climate governance calls for change and for adjusting existing policies and legislation to adapt to the new situation. National governments and international institutions need to work together to handle the problem at stake, namely climate change, and to provide solutions to mitigate its effects. With this, there is a need to integrate nature and environmental considerations more closely into daily life and political decision-making, in order to…

By Reid Standish January 26, 2026 Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s decision to place the country’s top-ranking general under investigation raises deep questions for China’s neighbors about Beijing’s ambitions to take control of Taiwan, long-term competition with the United States, and its regional image as a stable power. The stunning January 24 move to probe his top general and one-time ally Zhang Youxia leaves Xi virtually alone at the top of the country’s military hierarchy and China analysts who spoke to RFE/RL said that it holds major implications for succession and that Beijing’s partners and rivals will be closely watching for…

On the first episode of UFC 325 Embedded, Champ Alexander Volkanovski welcomes new training partner Mauricio Ruffy; Rafael Fiziev wraps up his camp in Thailand; Cody Brundage eats fresh seafood; Benoit Saint-Denis gets acclimated to Sydney; Dan Hooker gets a striking session in; Oban Elliott explores Sydney Harbor; Diego Lopes has a UFC 324 watch party with fans.UFC 325 takes place on Feb. 1 and is headlined by a featherweight championship rematch between two-time titleholder Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes. UFC 325 Embedded – Episode 1

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 86th Medical Group, Army, Marine Corps and Navy medical personnel assigned to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, trained together during a Survive, Adapt and Battlefield Readiness, large-scale mass casualty exercise Jan. 22, to strengthen joint interoperability and preparing personnel for combat medical scenarios. The exercise was designed to test medical personnel covering multiple levels of care, emphasizing the value of staying calm amidst chaos and pressure. The training events imitated real-world uncertainty, while providing critical patient care to advance joint-interoperable capabilities. “SABR is about preparing our medics to…