Humanitarian logistics operations face increasing difficulties due to rising demands for aid in disaster areas. This paper investigates the dynamic allocation of scarce relief supplies across multiple affected districts over time. It introduces a novel stochastic dynamic post-disaster inventory allocation problem with trucks and unmanned aerial vehicles delivering relief goods under uncertain supply and demand. The relevance of this humanitarian logistics problem lies in the importance of considering the inter-temporal social impact of deliveries. We achieve this by incorporating deprivation costs when allocating scarce supplies. Furthermore, we consider the inherent uncertainties of disaster areas and the potential use of cargo UAVs to enhance operational efficiency. This study proposes two anticipatory solution methods based on approximate dynamic programming, specifically decomposed linear value function approximation and neural network value function approximation to effectively manage uncertainties in the dynamic allocation process. We compare DL-VFA and NN-VFA with various state-of-the-art methods (exact re-optimization, PPO) and results show a 6-8% improvement compared to the best benchmarks. NN-VFA provides the best performance and captures nonlinearities in the problem, whereas DL-VFA shows excellent scalability against a minor performance loss. The experiments reveal that consideration of deprivation costs results in improved allocation of scarce supplies both across affected districts and over time. Finally, results show that deploying UAVs can play a crucial role in the allocation of relief goods, especially in the first stages after a disaster. The use of UAVs reduces transportation- and deprivation costs together by 16-20% and reduces maximum deprivation times by 19-40%, while maintaining similar levels of demand coverage, showcasing efficient and effective operations.

In the realm of digital situational awareness during disaster situations, accurate digital representations, like 3D models, play an indispensable role. To ensure the safety of rescue teams, robotic platforms are often deployed to generate these models. In this paper, we introduce an innovative approach that synergizes the capabilities of compact Unmaned Arial Vehicles (UAVs), smaller than 30 cm, equipped with 360 degree cameras and the advances of Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs). A NeRF, a specialized neural network, can deduce a 3D representation of any scene using 2D images and then synthesize it from various angles upon request. This method is especially tailored for urban environments which have experienced significant destruction, where the structural integrity of buildings is compromised to the point of barring entry-commonly observed post-earthquakes and after severe fires. We have tested our approach through recent post-fire scenario, underlining the efficacy of NeRFs even in challenging outdoor environments characterized by water, snow, varying light conditions, and reflective surfaces.

Heterogeneous robots equipped with multi-modal sensors (e.g., UAV, wheeled and legged terrestrial robots) provide rich and complementary functions that may help human operators to accomplish complex tasks in unknown environments. However, seamlessly integrating heterogeneous agents and making them interact and collaborate still arise challenging issues. In this paper, we define a ROS 2 based software architecture that allows to build incarnated heterogeneous multi-agent systems (HMAS) in a generic way. We showcase its effectiveness through a scenario integrating aerial drones, quadruped robots, and human operators (see https://youtu.be/iOtCCticGuk). In addition, agent spatial awareness in unknown outdoor environments is a critical step for realizing autonomous individual movements, interactions, and collaborations. Through intensive experimental measurements, RTK-GPS is shown to be a suitable solution for achieving the required locating accuracy.

Former USS Cole commander Kirk Lippold discusses how released Hamas hostages are arriving at an Israeli hospital on'Your World.' The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Carney has shot down an Iranian-made Houthi drone launched from Yemen, a military official confirms to Fox News. There was no damage to the Carney or any injuries to the U.S. personnel onboard. The warship had been sailing near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the time of the attack. The USS Carney shot down 15 drones and four cruise missiles fired from Yemen in the northern Red Sea last month during a nine-hour span, using its SM-2 surface-to-air missiles.

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. The Russian government is floating the idea of demanding a "loyalty agreement" from foreigners. A proposed law would restrict non-Russian residents from openly opposing the government, criticizing Russia's communist history or subverting traditional values. Foreign nationals would be required to sign an agreement prohibiting "hindering the activities of public authorities of the Russian Federation [or] discrediting in any form the foreign and domestic state policy of the Russian Federation, public authorities and their officials," according to translations from The Moscow Times.

Ukraine will forge ahead in the battle against Russia's invasion, Kyiv's top diplomat has pledged as he seeks to rally Western support. Ukraine will not "back down" in fighting against the Russian invasion, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told a summit of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Wednesday, even as its military locked into a bloody stalemate with enemy forces amid signs that the provision of weapons and funding is slowing and that the war in Gaza is limiting global attention. "We have to continue, we have to keep fighting. Ukraine is not going to back down," Kuleba said. "The issue here is not just Ukraine's security, it is the security and safety of the entire Euro-Atlantic space."

FOX News correspondent Benjamin Hall previews his'Special Report' interview with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who says now is not the time for a peace deal with Russia. The wife of the Ukrainian military intelligence chief who once vowed to "keep killing Russians anywhere on the face of this world until the complete victory of Ukraine" has been poisoned, reports say. Marianna Budanova, the spouse of Kyrylo Budanov, is suffering from poisoning by heavy metals, Reuters is reporting, citing Ukrainian media. The alleged incident happened weeks after the Russian government said it will pursue terrorism charges against Budanov and three other military officials in connection to drone strikes on Russian territory and regions of Ukraine currently being held by Russian invading forces. It is unclear who is behind the reported poisoning or when it happened.

Russian air defences have intercepted Ukrainian drones over several regions inside its territory, including Moscow, just a day after Kyiv reported the "largest drone attack" on Ukraine since Moscow invaded the country in February last year. "Air defence destroyed four Ukrainian drones over the territory of the Bryansk, Smolensk and Tula regions," Russia's Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Sunday. Earlier, Russia said some drones were shot down over the Moscow region. The Russian army said it had also downed two Ukrainian missiles headed for Russia over the Sea of Azov, between the two countries. Ukraine, meanwhile, said its air defence had downed eight out of nine drones over the country on Sunday.

FOX News correspondent Benjamin Hall previews his Special Report interview with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who says now is not the time for a peace deal with Russia. Russia on Saturday morning launched its most intense drone attack on the Ukraine capital of Kyiv since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, leaving five people injured, military officials said. Seventy-five Iranian-made drones were launched into the north-central region, of which at least 70 were destroyed by air defense, Ukraine's air force said. At least five civilians were wounded in the hours-long drone assault, including an 11-year-old child, according to Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko. A damaged kindergarten following a Russian drone attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.

A suspected drone attack has hit a container ship owned by an Israeli businessman in the Indian Ocean, according to a United States defence official. The attack was likely carried out using an Iranian-made Shahed-136 drone on Friday, an unnamed US defence official told The Associated Press news agency on Saturday. Pan-Arab satellite channel Al Mayadeen also reported that an Israeli ship had been targeted in the Indian Ocean. The drone targeted the Malta-flagged, French-operated CMA CGM Symi vessel while in international waters. The ship reportedly suffered damage after the drone exploded, but no crew members were injured.