Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

Imagine two Middle Eastern countries. The first is very unlike the rest of the region. It is economically highly productive, with a GDP per capita of $80,000—the highest in the Middle East. It has excellent universities and a highly developed technology sector. Its people do not agree on everything, but they are broadly supportive of liberal democracy.The second is far more like its neighbors. A significant share of its population is not employed, and what jobs its people do have are often low-skill and pay poorly. At $35,000, its GDP per capita is less than half that of the first…

The octagon is in London, England for this weekends UFC Fight Night 270: Evloev vs. Murphy event at the O2 Arena. The fight card is headlined by a featherweight bout between top contender Movsar Evloev (19-0) and No. 3 ranked Lerone Murphy (17-0-1).On Friday, the fighters competing at the event officially weighed in. Evloev tipped the scars at 146 pounds while Murphy came in at 145. Two fighters missed weight on Friday resulting in a women’s bantamweight bout being cancelled. UFC Fight Night 270 Official Weigh-In ResultsMAIN CARD (Paramount+, 4 p.m. ET)Movsar Evloev (146) vs. Lerone Murphy (145)Michael Aswell (145)…

LONDON — Two suspected Iranian spies have been arrested after attempting to enter Britain’s nuclear submarine base in Scotland, the Sun newspaper reported on Friday.The arrests come three weeks into the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. While Britain has not taken part in the attacks on Iran, the country’s forces have downed Iranian missiles and drones in the Gulf region.Police Scotland confirmed they had arrested a man and a woman on Thursday near the base, but did not comment on their nationality, adding in a statement that inquiries were ongoing.“Around 5pm on Thursday, 19 March, 2026, we were made aware of…

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge agreed Friday to block the Trump administration from enforcing a policy limiting news reporters’ access to the Pentagon, agreeing with The New York Times that key portions of the new rules are unlawful. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman in Washington, D.C., sided with the newspaper and ruled that the Pentagon policy illegally restricts the press credentials of reporters who walked out of the building rather than agree to the new rules. The Times sued the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in December, claiming the credentialing policy violates the journalists’ constitutional rights to free…

Israeli forces struck Iranian navy vessels in the Caspian Sea. Credit: The Art of Pics/Shutterstock.com. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has announced that it struck Iranian naval infrastructure in the Caspian Sea. In a statement posted on X, the IDF reported targeting various Iranian Navy vessels, including missile ships, support boats, and guard ships. Discover B2B Marketing That Performs Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms. Find out more The attack also targeted a port command centre reportedly used to oversee naval operations, along with key facilities responsible for vessel repair and…

3/20/26 National Security and Korean News and Commentary | Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University wpDiscuzInsert

Centauro II armoured vehicle, developed by the Iveco–Oto Melara Consortium (CIO). Credit: © Leonardo S.p.A. Leonardo has completed the previously announced €1.6bn ($1.8bn) acquisition of Iveco Group’s Defence Business, which includes the IDV and ASTRA brands. The deal, which was signed in July last year, set an enterprise value of €1.7bn for the transaction, with the final price adjusted for contractual terms. Discover B2B Marketing That Performs Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms. Find out more Iveco Group’s Defence Business was spun off from the parent company and consolidated under a…

The Defense Department’s civilian workforce is reporting a precipitous drop in job satisfaction, according to a survey released Thursday, following a year of cuts and a hiring freeze that has left many offices understaffed and employees in fear of further reductions in force. Conducted by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, the survey shows that civilian workers with the Navy and Marine Corps have seen the biggest plunge in satisfaction, from a score of 68.1 out of 100 in 2024 to 36.4 in 2025. The scores for Air Force workers dropped from 67 to 38.5; Army, from 70.3 to 48.1;…

The British Army is beginning the retirement of its Land Rover fleet after 70 years of service, with thousands of vehicles set to be phased out over the coming months under a plan announced by the Ministry of Defence. According to the BBC, the withdrawal will be managed in line with Army demand, while work […]

Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis will return to the cage for the first time since 2022 at ORDA Global’s inaugural event. 39-year-old Anthony Pettis remains active in combat sports despite being well past his physical prime. In addition to promoting events via Showtime FC, Pettis has appeared in professional boxing and in the Karate Combat pit in recent years. Pettis’ last MMA fight was a loss to Stevie Ray in the 2022 PFL lightweight semifinals by unanimous decision. The former UFC lightweight champion has lost four of his last five MMA fights overall, including defeats to Clay Collard and…