Combat | Common News Update

Oct302020 by adminNo Comments

Keel is laid for future littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara

Business

Oct. 30 (UPI) -- The keel of the future Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara was ceremonially laid at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala., this week. Work on the ship, currently designated as LCS 32, formally began with ship sponsor Lolita Zinke applying her initials to the keel with an arc welder on Tuesday. Advertisement Attendance at the brief ceremony, called an authentication, was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Through this new warship and the name she bears, we honor a city that represents the very best of the American spirit," said Capt. Mike Taylor, Navy LCS program manager. "We set forth the Santa Barbara armed with the most adaptive and effective capabilities, designed to defend the United States," Taylor said. LCS ships are designed for maneuver...

Oct272020 by adminNo Comments

Space companies use Earth-imaging satellites to combat climate change

Science

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 27 (UPI) -- A growing number of space companies are launching satellites intended to combat climate change by using Earth-observation technology. Such satellites monitor a range of climate conditions, such as sea levels, deforestation and the release of greenhouse gases, particularly methane, according to new industry reports and a panel of experts at the recent International Astronautical Congress. Advertisement Climate change services are helping drive up sales in the Earth-observation industry, which are expected to reach $ 8.1 billion annually by 2029, according to a September report from France-based analyst firm Northern Sky Research. For some new satellite companies, climate ethics and new global sustainability goals are part of their mission, said Pooja Pandey,...

Oct212020 by adminNo Comments

Senators call for pause to Army’s new Combat Fitness Test

Business

Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Two senators said Wednesday they have called for a delay in implementing the U.S. Army's Combat Fitness Test, citing a possible detriment to creating a diverse force. A letter signed by Sen. Kristin Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., sent a letter to the chairman and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees warning that rollout of the revised test was premature and deserved additional study. Advertisement "Significant concerns have been raised regarding the data used to develop the test, initial test scores, and logistical issues," the senators wrote. "The ACFT will determine the career path and success of all soldiers currently serving, yet many information gaps and unknowns remain." It suggested that the ACFT could adverse...

May232020 by adminNo Comments

Wikipedia sets new rule to combat “toxic behaviour”

Technology

Wikipedia is to institute a new code of conduct to battle what the firm called "toxic behaviour" by some volunteers.The Wikimedia Foundation, the organisation that runs the site, voted on new measures that will be finalised by the end of the year.Wikipedia is written and updated by volunteers. Many, particularly women and members of the LGBTQ community, have complained of abuse and harassment from other editors.Wikimedia's board of trustees said maintaining civility was a core value."We must work together to create a safe, inclusive culture, where everyone feels welcome, that their contributions are valued, and that their perspective matters," said Katherine Maher, the chief executive officer of the Wikimedia Foundation."Our goal is all the world's knowle...

Jan152020 by adminNo Comments

HRW calls on global community to combat China’s threat to human rights

World

Jan. 15 (UPI) -- The Chinese government poses a threat to the rights of people worldwide, non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch said, calling on the international community to band together to counter Beijing's attacks. In HRW's annual 2020 report analyzing the world's human rights situation, its executive director, Kenneth Roth, warned that since China sees human rights as an existential threat, how it combats that threat jeopardizes the rights and freedoms of the rest of the world. "At home, the Chinese Communist Party, worried that permitting political freedom would jeopardize its grasp on power, has constructed an Orwellian high-tech surveillance state and a sophisticated Internet censorship system to monitor and suppress public criticism," wrote Roth. "Abroad, it uses its...