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As global threats evolve and operational environments grow more complex, the way militaries train must transform just as rapidly. In this episode of Vanguard Radio , host J. Richard Jones sits down with Jay Ballard, Vice President of Defence-Learning at Calian Defence Canada, to explore what it takes to prepare the next generation of warfighters. Drawing on more than two decades of operational experience as a U.S. Navy Commander—including nearly 4,000 flight hours, multiple deployments, and elite credentials such as TOPGUN Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor—Ballard brings a practitioner’s lens to one of defence’s most urgent challenges: modernizing military training for a rapidly changing battlespace. The conversation dives into how the character of warfare is shifting toward multi-domain, data-driven operations—and what that means for training systems across land, sea, air, cyber, and space. From the integration of C5ISRT capabilities to the rise of synthetic training envir...

The Pavilion of the Holy See at this year’s Venice Biennale will focusing on listening by way of commissioned sound works by artists and musicians including Brian Eno, FKA Twigs, Jim Jarmusch, Patti Smith, Devonté Hynes, Laraaji, Kali Malone, Caterina Barbieri, and Terry Riley. The work in the pavilion will take the form of a “sonic prayer” and is inspired by the 12th-century abbess and musical composer Saint Hildegard of Bingen. Under the title “The Ear Is the Eye of the Soul,” the works by 24 artists will be presented in two venues: the Mystical Garden of the Discalced Carmelites, in the Cannaregio district of Venice, and the Complesso di Santa Maria Ausiliatrice, in Castello. The exhibition is curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers, in collaboration with Soundwalk Collective. The idea behind it was “conceived in response to Koyo Kouoh’s curatorial proposition for Biennale Arte 2026 to slow down and attune to a quieter register,” according to a press release. In the Mys...

Researchers working on an archaeological salvage project related to construction of a passenger train between Querétaro and Mexico City discovered a 1,000-year-old stone altar. The discovery was first reported in March, and was uncovered within the Tula Archaeological Monument Zone, a Toltec site in the central state of Hidalgo, according to Mexico’s INAH (the National Institute of Anthropology and History). When the three-level altar was excavated from the test pit, the project archaeologists discovered four human skulls abutting the monument, along with several long bones, which are believed to be femurs. There is also a black ceramic bowl, fragments of obsidian, and several blades with the altar. It is about three feet long on each side and is made up of andesite, river stones, and basalt rock. “Each discovery like this expands our knowledge of one of the great civilizations of Mesoamerica,” said Claudia Curiel de Icaza, Mexico’s secretary of culture. She went on to explain that...

Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer behind such durable hits as Cats (1981) ,  Phantom of the Opera , and  Evita , has teased a new musical about the early 20th century theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, the Mona Lisa . The news was first reported by the British publication The Stage . Lloyd Webber had already announced he was currently working on a musical based on the 2006 film The Illusionist . Speaking to entertainment journalist Frank DiLella after the April 7 opening of Lloyd Webber’s Cats: The Jellicle Ball  on Broadway, the composer told him: “The other one I’m working on is the true story of the theft of the Mona Lisa. It’s a true story about how the Mona Lisa disappeared for three years and ended up in Italy.” Leonardo started the portrait around 1503 while living in Florence but did not finish it for more than a decade. Early sources, such as 16th-century art historian Giorgio Vasari, claim that is a likeness of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Flo...

Vi Hausia has taken the lead in preliminary results for the Papatoetoe subdivision local board election. Photo: Supplied. Local Democracy Reporting | Free Public Interest News Service By Taelegalolo’u Mary Afemata of Local Democracy Reporting Preliminary results  for the Papatoetoe subdivision of the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board show four candidates provisionally elected, following the close of voting last week. Labour candidate Vi Hausia has taken the lead with 2788 votes. He is followed by Jeet Singh (2484 votes), Sandeep Saini (2479 votes), and Kushma Nair (2383 votes), all from the Papatoetoe Otara Action Team. The four candidates are currently in line to fill the four vacant seats, although the result remains provisional. Auckland Council says the preliminary count includes all votes cast before the deadline, excluding special votes, which are still to be processed and validated. Kunal Bhalla (2343 votes) and Chris Latham (2342 votes) were the next closest cand...

Action from Old Boys University’s Peter Dunford Cup win over Wainuiomata on Saturday.  Monday morning edition: The first full weekend of club rugby was played on Saturday. And we got lucky with the weather. Saturday was fine and warm but 24 hours later it was grey and wet. It’s the second week of school holidays...