Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

United States forces have targeted ISIS strongholds across Africa’s Sahel in recent days, in operations coordinated with the Nigerian government. But a longer-term strategic question remains as to whether the U.S. military retains the capacity to thwart potential terror attacks emanating from the continent, given its shrinking regional footprint.U.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, head of U.S. Africa Command, seemed concerned that the answer might be “no” when he testified to Congress last week.Anderson said that Africa is the epicenter of global terrorism, but warned that a 75% U.S. force reduction over the past decade – coupled with a parallel…

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The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. President Donald Trump on Monday said he called off a new round of airstrikes he claimed were set for tomorrow. In a post on his social media outlet, Trump said he made the decision at the behest of Gulf Arab allies because of improving efforts to end the war.  “I have been asked by the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and the President of the United Arab Emirates,…

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Gentex Corporation, under its Ops-Core® brand, today announced a $16 million order in support of the Canadian Army’s Directorate of Soldier Systems Program Management. The order includes delivery of AMP® Communication Headsets equipped with the AMP Rail Mount Kit with Vent Mode, Near-Field Magnetic Induction (NFMI) Earplugs, U94 Push-To-Talk (PTT) units, and AMP U174 Downleads, providing a fully integrated, mission-adaptable hearing protection and communications solution. This award comes shortly after the January debut of the AMP Rail Mount Kit with Vent Mode at SHOT Show. Developed directly in response to end-user feedback, Vent Mode allows the earcups to shift slightly…

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Arnold Allen got back in the win column by spoiling the first UFC main event spot for Melquizael Costa with fantastic showing int the main event of UFC Vegas 117. After his much-needed victory, where does “Almighty” go in the absolutely loaded featherweight division?On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee put on the matchmaking hats following the UFC’s latest Fight Night event, and discuss what’s next for Allen after his win over Costa? Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Doo Ho Choi after his Fight of the Night stoppage…

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Iran Press TV Monday, 18 May 2026 5:35 AM Former Pentagon chief and CIA director Robert Gates says he rejected an assessment by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggesting that Iran’s government would rapidly collapse if subjected to military aggression. Speaking on the CBS program Face the Nation on Sunday, Gates recalled a 2009 conversation with Netanyahu regarding the possible consequences of a military attack against Iran. According to Gates, Netanyahu argued during the discussion that the Iranian establishment would “crumble at the first attack.” ‘You’re dead wrong’ Gates said he strongly disagreed with the assessment and told the Israeli…

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Minnesota prosecutors charged Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Christian J. Castro, 52, on Monday with assault for the alleged Jan. 14 shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis in north Minneapolis.The ICE agent, identified for the first time publicly on Monday, faces four counts of second-degree assault as well as one count of falsely reporting a crime.The latter charge stems from Castro’s earlier accusation that Sosa-Celis and the subject of the agents’ car chase, Alfredo Aljorna, both Venezuelan immigrants here legally according to state prosecutors, had assaulted him with a broom and a snow shovel before Castro opened fire.The Justice Department dropped its…

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Yod-IQ Or Pimolsri faces undefeated Russian knockout artist Kiamran Nabati in the bantamweight Muay Thai main event of The Inner Circle, streaming live for members at live.onefc.com from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, May 22. The 24-year-old carries a 126-36 career record, a US$100,000 ONE Championship contract earned with a head kick knockout of Alexey Balyko last December, and a training partner most fighters would trade careers for. The man on the other side of his daily pad sessions is reigning ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai, the fighter Yod-IQ followed obsessively through his high…

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Blueprints for future talent: Developing an AI-ready procurement teamAlthough the range of roles within procurement has evolved massively over recent years, the function is thought to be on the cusp of the most dramatic shift in how it operates yet. New tools and capabilities promise to automate much of the work currently done by humans and to augment further activities, leaving few tasks untouched. In fact, this change is already underway, with more than 70% of respondents to the Procurement Salary Survey 2025 reported that at least some work previously done by humans is now being handled by AI. This shift…

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02:27 18.5.2026 Iran executed a “staggering” 2,159 people in 2025, Amnesty International reported on May 18, helping to push the global figure to the highest level since 1981. London-based Amnesty said at least 2,707 people were executed globally last year, although death sentences carried out in China were not included in the figure. Amnesty said that “thousands of executions” were carried out in China, the world’s most prolific user of the death penalty, although details are uncertain due to “the state secrecy” over data in the communist nation. Amnesty said the 2025 global figure — including executions in Saudi Arabia,…

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The U.S. Air Force is looking to repurpose offshore oil rigs into landing platforms to recover rocket boosters launched by the U.S. Space Force and private spaceflight companies.The proposal, called Project Able Baker, would solve two problems, the Air Force said. First, the new Sea-Based Recovery Stations would offer a cheaper way of retrieving reusable heavy-lift rockets so they can be launched again. And, it would provide a new purpose and refurbishment for decommissioned oil platforms before they become environmental hazards.“This approach aims to provide the U.S. Space Force and its commercial partners with a distributed network of recovery sites…

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