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Terry Gerton You’ve got a new report from GAO, a recent report, that highlights how aging public library facilities could be undermining vital community services. I’m a library kid, I always was. I love public libraries. But what specific challenges did you uncover as you looked at building conditions and accessibility? David Marroni Simply the amount of libraries in this country that have facility issues — at this point, most libraries are over 40 years old, which is exactly when you start to have maintenance and repairs issues with your buildings. There are so many different funding sources for libraries…

Rheinmetall has successfully deployed its Luna NG reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the demonstration of a reconnaissance and operational network that only used unmanned systems, the company announced on 29 January 2026. The demonstration, which took place recently at the Bundeswehr’s Army Combat Training Centre in Saxony-Anhalt, saw a Luna UAV successfully integrated with the Bundeswehr’s Command & Control Unmanned Management System (C2-UMS Bw), allowing it to operate within reconnaissance and operational networks alongside other drones or loitering munitions. Overall, the demonstration at the Combat Training Centre was characterised by a high level of digitalisation and networking and showed…

MENASource January 29, 2026 • 6:30 am ET Print this page By Gregory Waters Syria’s political and security landscape has not stopped evolving in the one year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. 2025 saw major security incidents across the country in conjuction with significant structural state-building initiatives by the new government, but the year ended with most of the Sweida governorate and the country’s northeast still outside of Damascus’s control. Months of negotiations between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led armed group which controlled parts of Aleppo city and the northeast, had failed to achieve a…

Fire the cornermen? UFC lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett took an uncomfortable amount of abuse in his lopsided loss to Justin Gaethje atop the UFC 324 event last weekend in Las Vegas. In fact, the damage was so bad (see it here) that “Baddy” may need to take five or six years off from fighting to avoid permanent damage. That’s according to No. 2-ranked lightweight contender, Arman Tsarukyan. “He needs to take a break for five, six years after that fight,” Tsarukyan told Ariel Helwani. “He got dropped like 15 times. So bad for his brain. He was stupid, now he’s…

Former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling has spoken about his goals, and concerns, ahead of the rest of the year. It’s safe to say that Aljamain Sterling has been a bit more outspoken in recent months. Whether it be frustrations with the UFC or frustrations with the sport as a whole, the former king of the bantamweights hasn’t been afraid to speak his mind – which has earned him a lot of respect from some corners of the MMA world. RELATED: Aljamain Sterling calls out big featherweight contenders for fights in 2026 As we look ahead to 2026, it’s not clear…

On 27 January 2026 at 23.53 ET Lockheed Martin’s ninth GPS III space vehicle, SV09, was launched into orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The satellite achieved signal acquisition shortly thereafter and is now under operational control at Lockheed Martin’s Denver Launch & Checkout Operations Center until its official acceptance into the GPS operational control network. The GPS III satellite constellation delivers advanced security and anti‑jamming features that brings uninterrupted, precise navigation and timing in contested or denied environments, safeguarding US and allied security and defence missions. Overall, according to Lockheed Martin, GPS…

GM200 MMA radars. Credit: Thales. The Qatar Emiri Air Force has placed an order for Ground Master 200 (GM200) MM/A and Ground Master 400 Alpha (GM400α) radars with Thales to enhance the country’s airspace control capabilities. The order was signed at the DIMDEX Exhibition in Doha, held from 19 to 22 January 2026. Discover B2B Marketing That Performs Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms. Find out more The GM200 MM/A is designed for aerial multi-mission operations and can track small targets at distances of up to 350 kilometres. The GM400α radar…

For nearly 30 years, I have worked inside the Department of Veterans Affairs adjudicating disability claims for veterans and their families. For more than 13 of those years, I have also served as an employee advocate with the American Federation of Government Employees at VA Central Office. Those roles have given me a rare vantage point into the VA’s culture, priorities and values. I have worked under secretaries appointed by both Democrats and Republicans, alongside employees across disciplines and job series. One thing has always been constant: VA employees are deeply committed to serving our nation’s veterans. Today, that commitment is…

JERUSALEM — Israeli defense giant Elbit Systems has selected startup Lowental Hybrid to supply a new hybrid-electric engine small enough to fit in tactical drones, aiming for a breakthrough that could significantly extend the range of unmanned systems, Lowental Hybrid announced Wednesday. “This achievement reflects how close cooperation between innovative startups and established defense leaders can accelerate meaningful progress in the UAV domain,” CEO of Lowental Hybrid Doron Fridman told Breaking Defense. The company said in a statement that “the long-term agreement spanning a decade includes development, procurement, and services, with an initial scope of approximately $1.4 million, followed by…

The Army is now accepting applications for a new enlisted career track focused entirely on space operations, formalizing a role that has until now, relied on soldiers temporarily assigned from other branches. The new military occupational specialty, MOS 40D Tactical Space Operations Specialist, will be officially established Oct. 1, according to an Army press release published Tuesday, and is open to soldiers in grades E-4 through E-9 across the active-duty Army, National Guard and Army Reserve.“This is the first space-specific MOS for enlisted soldiers, and it couldn’t have come at a better time,” Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey, commanding general of…