Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

A group of Agriculture Department workers and the National Federation of Federal Employees union on Wednesday filed a lawsuit over an email to the agency’s workforce celebrating the Easter holiday sent by Secretary Brooke Rollins. Specifically, the plaintiffs objected to language in the communication that assumes the recipient is Christian such as: “Today we celebrate the greatest story ever told, the foundation of our faith, and the abiding hope of all mankind.”“We work for the federal government, not a church. I just want to go to work and make my country better — I shouldn’t have to suffer through sermons and…

Japan is offering Indonesia Mogami-class frigates and submarines, as Tokyo seeks to deepen security cooperation with Jakarta following the loosening of its arms export rules and amid the geopolitical situation in the region. On April 11, Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) Chief of Staff, Admiral Muhammad Ali, confirmed that Japan is offering Mogami frigates and submarines to Indonesia. According to the admiral, the offer was conveyed during a recent meeting between Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin. Admiral Ali said the proposals are still being discussed and reviewed by the Indonesian Ministry of Defence and that…

The phone rang at 3:45 pm on a Friday afternoon. We were winding down for the weekend when the caller ID lit up — it was the counterterrorism analyst in our office we affectionately called “CT Brian.” When he called, it was never good news. An al-Qaeda-affiliated group seized an American aid worker. Her captors were preparing to move her within the hour and special operations forces needed cyber to pinpoint her location in 30 minutes or less. An assault team stood by, ready to launch — if we could tell them where to go. Weekend plans evaporated. Screens brightened.…

Looking to new technologies to anticipate future requirements is a must for all companies, and in recent years FNSS showcased two technology demonstrators, the Kaplan Hybrid, the 17.5 tonnes tracked vehicle being powered by two PMSM electric motors capable to provide 300 kW each and a 400 hp diesel engine ensuring battery reload, and the Shadow Rider, a 13.5 tonnes tracked vehicle equipped with the autonomy kit developed by FNSS which has autonomous driving modes such as patrol, track and return to military base, as well as various layers of protection for a safe ride. At the Istanbul exhibition FNSS…

Taiwan is everything Donald Trump says he wants in an ally. It is investing unprecedented sums in its own defense, including billions spent on American-made weapons. It manufactures the world’s most advanced semiconductor chips, which power U.S. commercial products and cutting-edge weapons, such as the F-35 stealth fighter.As Trump heads to Beijing this week for a summit with Xi Jinping, the question is whether the U.S. president recognizes that Taiwan is a “model ally”—a term his administration has applied to Israel, South Korea, and other countries—and will resist the temptation to trade its security for Xi’s hollow promises to import more…

U.S. Sixth Fleet successfully integrated advanced unmanned surface vessels (USVs) during Exercise Obangame Express 2026 in Douala, Cameroon. As part of the exercise, Commander Task Force 66 (CTF 66) conducted USV training initiatives in the port of Douala, integrating Lightfish and Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) platforms to demonstrate expeditionary unmanned systems operations. During the training, shoreside operators employed Lightfish systems to enhance maritime domain awareness, enabling the detection and identification of simulated malign actors and threat vessels. Once identified, high-speed GARC assets were deployed to respond and conduct intercept operations, showcasing a layered and responsive unmanned capability. The ability…

MQ-9A Reaper tested with APKWS by GA-ASI and US Air Force at Nevada range. Credit: General Atomics. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), working with the US Air Force (USAF), has completed flight tests of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) on the MQ-9A Reaper remotely piloted aircraft. The MQ-9A is produced by GA-ASI and is currently in service with a number of organisations worldwide. Discover B2B Marketing That Performs Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms. Find out more The tests took place at the Nevada Test and Training Range and…

ROC Central News Agency 05/13/2026 10:50 AM Washington, May 12 (CNA) The United States Department of State on Tuesday reiterated Washington’s commitments to Taiwan after President Donald Trump seemed prepared to undermine one of those commitments in remarks on his pending meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平). Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, ahead of his summit with Xi in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday, Trump was asked about Washington’s longstanding support for Taiwan’s defense, and he brought up the issue of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. “President Xi would like us not to, and I’ll…

Background and Objectives Biannual preventive dental visits are recommended to promote good oral health and identify problems, yet children in many families do not receive this care due to time-related barriers. Paid sick leave mandates have the potential to relieve parental time constraints and facilitate scheduling and attending pediatric dental visits; thus, we sought to evaluate the effects of state paid sick leave mandates on children’s receipt of preventive dental care. Methods Using 2016 to 2023 National Survey of Children’s Health data and a difference-in-differences approach, we compared trends in children’s receipt of preventive dental care in states that did…

Iran Press TV Wednesday, 13 May 2026 7:28 AM A convicted spy who was trained by Israel’s spy agency, Mossad, in Nepal and systematically funneled sensitive information from Iranian military and cyber institutions to Israel has been executed, Iran’s Judiciary announced. According to court documents, Ehsan Afrashteh first established contact with Mossad operatives in Turkey. After assessing Afrashteh’s family connections to sensitive state institutions, the Mossad officer instructed him to return to Iran and attempt to gain employment in a sensitive organization. Although he ultimately failed to infiltrate that specific body, Mossad paid him 1,000 euros before his return to…