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( MENAFN - Asia Times) This article was originally published by Pacific Forum. It is republished with permission. Vietnam's maritime security is shaped by its geographic position, strategic interests, and the pressing need to safeguard its territorial waters. The South China Sea (known in Vietnam as the East Sea) serves as a crucial route for international trade. It is also marked by intricate territorial disputes, highlighting the importance of Vietnam's naval and coast guard forces. China's growing fleet of unmanned air, surface, and underwater systems poses a serious security threat to Hanoi. In August 2024, a Chinese WZ-10 drone entered Vietnam's airspace 160 to 170 kilometers from Cam Ranh, a vital naval base. The Chinese have raised the temperature in the South China Sea by using unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), gliders and Argo floats , which are dual-use. This has prompted Vietnam to seek measures to enhance its monitoring, patrolling, and response capabilities without overcommitting its limited conventional forces. A key opportunity to bolster these efforts is integrating unmanned systems into Vietnam's defense arsenal. Given the existing capacity shortfalls, Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (“Quad”) nations, which have a plan to support capacity-building for regional navies in Southeast Asia, are well-positioned to enhance Vietnam's capabilities in this area. The Vietnamese People's Army (VPA) has extensive experience operating UAVs to augment its maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. These UAVs are either domestically developed with foreign assistance or imported from abroad. Vietnam also showcased its larger class of UAVs, conceivably a medium-altitude long-endurance system, during its first international defense expo in 2022. However, Vietnam's focus on unmanned maritime vehicles, both surface and underwater, is still in a nascent stage. As tensions in the maritime domain with China escalate, the VPA seeks advanced unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and UUVs to bolster its maritime security and protect critical maritime infrastructure in the Vietnamese EEZs. These systems not only are cost-effective but they also play a crucial role in ISR capabilities. The Quad is now more strategically aligned and is recognized as a valuable platform for fostering regional cooperation that aims to enhance peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The September 2024 Quad joint statement explicitly highlights the importance of strengthening maritime security capabilities of Southeast Asian nations. Vietnam, given its robust ties with the Quad countries, has much to gain from partnering with the Quad, particularly in improving its technological and operational prowess in maritime security. The Quad nations have expertise in developing and operating unmanned maritime systems. Sharing technological knowledge or co-developing specialized systems tailored to Vietnam's requirements would substantially help its ISR capabilities. In particular, India and Vietnam maintain close defense ties, given that both use Soviet weapon systems. During Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's state visit to India in August 2024, both nations reiterated their commitment to strengthening mutual relations. India has provided a $300 million loan to Hanoi for acquiring two types of patrol vessels. In addition, the US has supplied the Vietnam Coast Guard with 18“Metal Shark” patrol boats, while Japan is offering a $348 million loan to Hanoi for constructing six patrol boats, set to be operational by 2025. There is potential for industrial collaboration, which could lead to a joint venture in constructing UUVs or USVs that would be advantageous for both nations. Defense industry cooperation to develop unmanned maritime systems presents a significant opportunity for the Quad nations to collaborate with Hanoi. This can include building or upgrading command-and-control infrastructure to ensure seamless operation and coordination. Additionally, supporting Vietnam in building a domestic unmanned maritime systems industry, potentially through technology transfers and specialized human resource training, could foster greater autonomy and capability in Vietnam's defense sector. While the potential benefits of unmanned systems are clear, they are not without challenges. Vietnam's approach to security partnerships is carefully balanced to avoid over-reliance on any one partner. Vietnam aims to engage with the Quad, ensuring its non-alignment policy remains intact while maximizing cooperation benefits. Although unmanned systems are more cost-effective than manned alternatives, acquiring and maintaining these still entails significant investment. Vietnam may need to explore financing options with the assistance of Quad nations. Additional challenges include the absence of a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for unmanned systems development and deployment in Vietnam. The collaboration in unmanned maritime systems may represent a significant advancement for Vietnam and the Quad. In conclusion, Vietnam's maritime security is a linchpin for regional stability and economic prosperity. As maritime threats grow more sophisticated, integrating unmanned maritime systems into its strategy will provide a critical edge for VPA. With its collective technological expertise and strategic interest in a free and open Indo-Pacific, the Quad can play a pivotal role. By focusing on technology transfer, training, infrastructure support, and joint exercises, the Quad can help build Vietnam's capacity to protect its waters. While Vietnam maintains a non-aligned stance, its advocacy for a rule-based order and its reliance on international law to safeguard its maritime interests make it a natural partner for the Quad. Strengthening Vietnam's maritime capabilities will therefore greatly enhance regional security and also underscore the Quad's commitment to safeguarding the shared interests of Southeast Asian countries. Prakash Panneerselvam, PhD, (... ) is a Japan Foundation Indo-Pacific Partnership (JFIPP) research fellow and an assistant professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru. Van T. Pham, rer, (... ) is founding director of the South China Sea Chronicle Initiative in Vietnam. Thank you for registering! An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link. MENAFN19122024000159011032ID1109014646 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. 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Amazon is selling a cordless stick vacuum that 'beats Dyson by far' for only $92 — its lowest price in historyLAS VEGAS — There are three races remaining in the Formula 1 season and Max Verstappen of Red Bull is close to a fourth consecutive world championship, which can wrap up Saturday night at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. All is not smooth sailing headed into this final month of racing: "It was a bit of a surprise, I think, for everybody," said Mercedes driver George Russell, a GPDA director. "It's a hell of a lot of pressure now onto the new race director (with) just three races left. Often, as drivers, we probably feel like we're the last to find out this sort of information." People are also reading... The Andretti team is expected to receive F1 approval to join the grid, albeit without Michael Andretti, who has scaled back his role dramatically since the IndyCar season ended in September. Many drivers, particularly seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, have been at odds with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem since his election following the 2021 season finale. In the GDPA statement, they reminded the sanctioning body "our members are adults" who don't need lectures and fines on foul language or jewelry bans, and simply want fair and consistent race control. There's been no response from Ben Sulayem, and won't be this weekend since he does not attend the LVGP. He will be at Qatar and the finale in Abu Dhabi next month. Hamilton doesn't think all the behind-the-scenes changes will be a fan topic as the season comes to a close. But he noted that consistency from race control is all the drivers have asked for, while throwing his support behind Domenicali and the job Maffei has done in growing F1 since Liberty took over. "I really hope Stefano is not leaving because he's been so instrumental in changes and progress to this whole thing," Hamilton said. "And he knows the sport as well as anyone. But all good things do come to an end, and whoever they put into place, I just hope they are like-minded. But sometimes you have to shake the trees." That's just what happened with the surprise departure of race director Wittich. Although drivers have been unhappy with race officiating this season and held a private GPDA meeting in Mexico City, Russell said they had no prior warning Wittich was out. The race director is the referee each weekend and Wittich has been in charge since 2022, when Michael Masi was fired following the controversial 2021 season-ending, championship-altering finale at Abu Dhabi. Now the man in charge for the final three races is Rui Marques, the Formula 2 and Formula 3 race director. Las Vegas, which overcame multiple stumbling blocks in last year's debut before putting on one of the best races of the season, is a difficult place to start. Verstappen can win his fourth title by simply scoring three points more than Lando Norris of McLaren. "It's a bit weird with three races to go to do that," Verstappen said. "It doesn't matter if you're positive or negative about certain things. I thought in Brazil there was definitely room for improvement, for example. It's still a bit weird having to now then deal with a different race director." Charles Leclerc of Ferrari wondered why the move was made with only three races to go. "To do it so late in the season, at such a crucial moment of the season, it could have probably been managed in a better way," he said. The drivers have consistently asked for clearer guidelines in the officiating of races, specifically regarding track limits and racing rules. The drivers have no idea how Marques will officiate, highlighting a disconnect between the competitors and Ben Sulaymen's FIA. "We just want to be transparent with the FIA and have this dialogue that is happening," Russell said. "And I think the departure of Niels is also a prime example of not being a part of these conversations." The GDPA statement made clear the drivers do not think their voice is being heard. "If we feel we're being listened to, and some of the changes that we are requesting are implemented, because ultimately we're only doing it for the benefit of the sport, then maybe our confidence will increase," Russell said. "But I think there's a number of drivers who feel a bit fed up with the whole situation. It only seems to be going in the wrong direction." He also said the relationship between the drivers and the FIA seems fractured. "Sometimes just hiring and firing is not the solution," he said. "You need to work together to improve the problem." Norris, who has battled Verstappen this year with mixed officiating rulings, said "obviously things are not running as smoothly as what we would want." Marques has his first driver meeting ahead of Thursday night's two practice sessions and then three weeks to prove to the competitors he is up for the job. Carlos Sainz Jr., who will leave Ferrari for Williams at the end of the season, hopes the drama doesn't distract from the momentum F1 has built over the last five years. "I think Formula 1 is in a great moment right now and all these rumors, I think in every team, every job, there's job changes," he said. "It's not big drama. I'm a big fan of the people you mentioned, they've done an incredible job in Formula 1 and Formula 1 is what it is thanks to these people. But it's just so emotional, especially the Stefano one. The only one that has a real effect is the race director. But I think if he does a good job, it should be transparent and nothing big." Be the first to knowWhat to know about a Wisconsin man who faked his own death and fled to Eastern Europe

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Lawmakers call for progress on marijuana law before end of Biden administrationEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Malik Nabers said calling the New York Giants “soft” after Sunday’s embarrassing loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a mistake, although the star rookie receiver still plans to speak out when he thinks it’s necessary. After talking with coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen and watching video of the Giants’ 30-7 defeat , Nabers said Tuesday that “soft” was a poor choice of words. “I don’t think it was really soft. I think it was just a lack of technique,” Nabers said. “We were playing our butts off, we just lacked technique.” The Giants (2-9) trailed 23-0 at halftime and had run only 19 plays on offense. Nabers was not targeted in first the half but still finished with a team-high six catches for 64 yards. The No. 6 overall pick in the draft, Nabers said his rant after the game — in which he said the Giants’ quarterbacks weren’t to blame for the team’s poor performance — was just the competitor in him talking. “That’s just how I’m wired. That’s just who I am,” he said. “I just don’t like losing. If I feel like if I had an opportunity to help the team win, I’m going to express that.” RELATED COVERAGE Commanders place kicker Austin Seibert on injured reserve Ravens’ running game was crucial in a big win over the Chargers, especially on 4th down Saquon Barkley is the NFL’s version of Shohei Ohtani: Analysis Nabers said not being targeted in the opening half was tough because his body is prepared to play and not doing anything throws him off his game. “You’re not getting involved early, then you’re not getting the feel of the ball, you’re not getting hit,” Nabers said. “After football plays as an offense, after you get hit, you’re like, ‘All right, I’m ready to go.’” Nabers has a team-high 67 catches, the most by a player in his first nine NFL games. He said he sees himself as a resource, someone who can change the game for the Giants. “I’m not going to just sit back just because I’m a younger guy and not speak on how I feel,” Nabers said. “They want me to speak up. They feel like my energy helps the offense, in a way, to be explosive. So, of course, I’m going to speak up if something doesn’t go my way. That’s just how I am.” The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflEssential Strategies To Master Your Electrical Engineering Fundamentals Exam

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Since J. Edgar Hoover died in 1972 — after 48 years of leading the FBI — the seven men chosen to lead the premier law enforcement agency had previous experience as senior lawmen, senior federal prosecutors and federal judges. If President-elect Donald Trump has his way, the agency will instead be headed by a political loyalist who has pledged to use his powers to target the president’s political opponents. Kash Patel, 44, is a former junior-level federal prosecutor who was a White House aide in Trump’s first administration. That’s drawing scrutiny not just from Democrats, but from at least one Senate Republican. RELATED STORY | Mother of Pete Hegseth reportedly told son he was an 'abuser of women' in email South Dakota Republican Mike Rounds expressed support for current FBI Director Chris Wray — who Trump appointed after firing predecessor James Comey in 2017. “The president has the right to make nominations, but normally these are for a 10-year term. We'll see what his process is and whether he actually makes that nomination,” Rounds said Sunday during an interview on ABC News’ “This Week.” It would also be the second time Trump removed an FBI director before the end of the congressionally mandated 10-year term, which is designed to allow FBI directors to outlast the presidential administration. Since the end of the first Trump Administration, Patel has been actively engaged with the Make America Great Again movement supporting Trump. He was also one of the select group of supporters who accompanied Trump during the trial earlier this year in Manhattan that led to Trump being convicted of 34 felony counts related to falsifying corporate documents. RELATED STORY | Here's who Trump has asked to join his administration He has also said that a charity he operates provides financial help to families of people charged in connection with the January 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol. In an interview with conservative strategist Steve Bannon, Patel said he and others “will go out and find the conspirators not just in government but in the media.” ”We’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections,” Patel said, referring to the 2020 presidential election in which Biden, the Democratic challenger, defeated Trump. “We’re going to come after you, whether it’s criminally or civilly. We’ll figure that out. But yeah, we’re putting you all on notice.” In an interview earlier this year on the “Shawn Ryan Show,” Patel vowed to sever the FBI’s intelligence-gathering activities from the rest of its mission and said he would “shut down” the bureau’s headquarters building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., and “reopen it the next day as a museum of the ‘deep state.’” Rounds, meanwhile, praised Wray and said he saw no reason he should be removed. “Chris Wray, who the president nominated the first time around — I think the president picked a very good man to be the director of the FBI when he did that in his first term,” Rounds said. “When we meet with him behind closed doors, I've had no objections to the way that he's handled himself, and so I don't have any complaints about the way that he's done his job right now.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Genesis Bryant scored 27 points, Kendall Bostic secured her third double-double this season with 12 points and 11 rebounds and No. 19 Illinois beat Maryland Eastern Shore 75-55 on Tuesday in the Music City Classic. Illinois (6-0) moved to 6-0 for the second time under third-year coach Shauna Green. Illinois scored the opening nine points of the game and took a double-digit lead for good with 2:11 left in the first quarter when Makira Cook made a 3-pointer to begin 13-2 run. UMES scored 13 straight points midway through the second quarter to get as close as 32-22, but Cook answered with a basket to end Illinois' three-minute drought. Bryant finished the first half with 14 points and Cook added 13 to help Illinois build a 43-26 lead. The pair combined to make seven of Illinois’ 14 field goals. UMES was 9 of 36 (25%), including 0 of 7 from 3-point range at halftime. Illinois also got 15 points from Cook and a career-high 11 rebounds from Brynn Shoup-Hill. Bryant, who reached double figures in the first quarter, scored 20-plus for the first time this season. Zamara Haynes led UMES (4-3) with 20 points and Mahogany Lester added 14. Illinois stays in Nashville to play No. 14 Kentucky on Wednesday. UMES travels to Piscataway, New Jersey, to face Georgia Southern in the Battle on the Banks on Friday. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

The Evolution of Quality Management Systems: A Modern Entrepreneur’s GuideAmgen ( AMGN -7.86% ) reported today the highly anticipated results of a mid-stage trial of its experimental weight loss drug and potential Ozempic competitor MariTide, however, Wall Street wasn’t very impressed. The pharma giant said its weight loss medication helped patients living with obesity or who are overweight lose an average of 20% of their weight in a 52-week trial. For comparison, a clinical trial of Novo Nordisk’s ( NVO +1.54% ) blockbuster weight loss drug Wegovy found that participants lost an average of 15% of their weight after 68 weeks on the drug. Despite potentially being more potent than current drugs on the market, Amgen stock fell over 10% following the news during intraday trading on Tuesday. MariTide belongs to the class of drugs known as GLP-1 medications , made popular by Novo Nordisk’s diabetes treatment Ozempic . These drugs mimic a hormone that regulates appetite and blood sugar and have become highly sought after as treatments for obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Popular brands on the market include Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s ( LLY +5.38% ) Zepbound. Ozempic and prescription weight-loss drugs: How they work, what they cost, side effects, and everything to know Morgan Stanley ( MS -2.08% ) analysts anticipate the global market for GLP-1 treatment will reach $105 billion by 2030, but that will hinge on patient access. With that much money at stake, pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer ( PFE -1.74% ), Viking Therapeutics ( VKTX +2.44% ), and Zealand Pharma, are all racing to enter the lucrative weight-loss drug market. “We are very excited by MariTide’s differentiated profile, with clinically meaningful attributes of substantial and progressive weight loss, monthly or less frequent dosing, significant improvements in cardiometabolic parameters and strong reduction of HbA1C,” said Amgen Chief Scientific Officer James E. Bradner in a press release . Bradner previously told investors that MariTide is expected to be sold in a “convenient, handheld, patient-friendly auto-injector device with a monthly or even less frequent single-injection administration.” This is opposed to the weekly injections required for weight-loss drugs currently on the market. The company is already planning a larger phase 3 trial for the drug. Still, the trial’s results came in at the lower end of Wall Street’s expectations. “Weight loss of 20% meets the bar, but there is a catch,” wrote Wells Fargo Securities ( WFC +1.18% ) analyst Mohit Bansal in a note this morning. “Investors were looking for a minimum 20% weight loss at the highest dose since Zepbound crosses this bar and also newer injectable treatments such as Cagrisema and Retatrutide are expected to be at 25% or higher weight loss.” Jefferies ( JEF -0.32% ) analyst Michael Yee wrote today in a note the the market overreacted and expects Amgen stock to rebound — even if not immediately — once Wall Street digests the results. Yee added, that the data suggests that the MariTide could lead to more weight loss beyond 52 weeks and that less frequent dosing, whether monthly or quarterly, could make it a competitive option. Similarity, Goldman Sachs ( GS -0.14% ) analyst Salveen Richter wrote that he continues to see “a highly differentiated asset and remain[s] confident in the outlook for MariTide” as it advances to a late-stage trial. 📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.