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Austria’s coalition government plans to extend military service to nine months from six to adapt to a security landscape changed by the war in Ukraine, it said on Monday.Neutral Austria’s armed forces have for decades served mainly as a kind of civil protection force, assisting the emergency services during natural disasters such as floods and wildfires, or performing border patrols to intercept illegal immigrants rather than stop advancing foreign troops.The country has for years been trying to strengthen and better equip its military, which the authorities have long said would be unable to defend the homeland against serious attack by…

Listen to the article 5 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Two U.S. businesses are suing the federal government over new Section 301 tariffs imposed last week, adding another chapter of legal scrutiny for the Trump administration’s duty-reliant trade policy. The companies, spice importer Burlap and Barrel and watch retailer Collective Horology, are calling for the removal of the new levies and the payment of refunds, according to a lawsuit filed with the U.S. Court of International Trade on Friday. In the filing, the businesses argue that the tariffs, installed to address forced…

The Queensland state government of Premier David Crisafulli established the Cairncross Dockyard Brisbane Project in November 2025 a prescribed project. The intention of this effort is the resurrection of a working shipyard in the Brisbane suburb of Morningside, with a privately funded investment worth A$ 2.5 billion. Naval News provides an overview on background, basic characteristics of the site in question, and an overall assessment from a perspective of naval and defence requirements. Cairncross Dockyard (red) in relation to the Brisbane CBD (green), the older and smaller South Brisbane Dry dock (blue) and the Port of Brisbane on Fisherman Island…

Many action games are power fantasies that let players step into the shoes of beings who can accomplish feats beyond imagination, some of which are downright scary. While it might not always be the main selling point, these games shine in their ability to empower, and a brilliant way to show that is by having AI enemies react out of pure fear. They might scream, beg for mercy, run away, or act irrationally; either way, the outcome is the same. They are scared of you. To be most effective, this mechanic needs to be triggered by the player’s direct actions…

The Death Ride of the Armor Branch | Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University wpDiscuzInsert

Roaches scurried up one shiny tile to the next, under the hood of cooking equipment. Their twitchy little bodies darted left, right, shimmying up and down as if they were levitating on the walls. In what seemed an insult to their hosts, they swarmed a food safety cutting board guide posted on the wall. A now-viral video of the pests scuttled across the internet last week, prompting the closure of a Texas Army dining facility that seemingly served up hot meals to two- and six-legged bellies alike. “We are aware of the video depicting our dining facility. Effective immediately, we…

Editor’s note: This report contains discussion of suicide. Troops, veterans and family members experiencing suicidal thoughts can call the 24-hour Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 and dial 1, text 838255 or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net.Suicidal thoughts among U.S. veterans have risen nearly 50% in the past five years, but the frequency of suicide planning and attempts remained relatively stable, according to a new study based on a survey of 2,636 veterans.Researchers from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Center for PTSD and the Yale School of Medicine analyzed data from the 2025-26 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study and found…

Welcome to The Ukraine Compass, a weekly digest of Ukrainian commentary and analysis from across the political spectrum only for War on the Rocks members. Each Monday, we bring you a curated selection of articles from Ukrainian media offering insight into how Ukrainians themselves debate the issues shaping their country.American coverage often narrows the view to the battlefield — these pieces widen it, revealing the texture of daily life, politics, and public argument in a nation at war. The perspectives gathered here are varied, candid, and often surprising, together forming a more complete picture of Ukraine as it really is.Frontline and StrategyВисокий Замок…

With the U.S. running low on expensive guided munitions, the Pentagon is pushing yet another project to develop cheap, long-range weapons that can be mass produced. But this time, the Pentagon is in a hurry. The Iran war has exposed the problem of relying on costly long-range missiles such as the Tomahawk. To remedy that, DoD is putting out a call for long-range, autonomously guided Ground-Based Affordable Mass, or GBAM, weapons that cost less than $250,000 apiece. The Pentagon also wants the GBAM munitions to be ready for demonstration within three months, and full-scale production within 18 months. The goal…

Last week, I talked about some of the biggest and longest turn-based RPGs out there. This week, I’m doing the exact opposite. We’d all love to have more time for our hobbies, but real life intervenes. Whether it’s because of school, work, or other responsibilities, a massive 80+ hour RPG just might not be feasible, and that’s okay! There are plenty of games that offer all the story, strategy, and gameplay you crave, and that you can reasonably finish even if you only have an hour or two a day to play. I’ve picked some of my favorite RPGs that…