Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org The Space Force spent nearly $124 million on commercial space data and services between 2023 and 2025—and a little known interagency working group could help facilitate even more data buys going forward.  A new Government Accountability Office report tracked Space Force, National Reconnaissance Office, and National Geospatial Intelligence Agency purchases of space data and services from private sector firms between January 2023 and September 2025. This includes things like imagery and…

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic on Friday accused a war crimes U.N. court in The Hague of “uncivilized behavior” for refusing to grant an early release for the former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic, who died Thursday at the age of 84 while serving a life sentence for his crimes. Mladic’s family and the Serbian government had requested several times that Mladic be released, citing his age and ailing health. He died a week after the U.N. rejected his latest request for release on humanitarian grounds. “That was uncivilized behavior, unprecedented and without excuse,” Vucic said.…

Song Yadong is riding high.On Saturday, Song scored the biggest win of his career, knocking out Umar Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC Shanghai. Not only was it a huge upset win for Song, but it also put him right back into the title mix at 135 pounds, and it all happened in his home country. So afterward, “The Kung Fu Kid” was understandably ecstatic about the win.“Amazing. I’m feeling amazing,” Song told UFC on Paramount+. “I feel like this is the best moment in my life, right now. I knocked out Umar. Everybody’s saying he’s the best fighter…

ORLANDO, Fla.—Duel Arena main event winner Brandon Jenkins talks to MMA Fighting about the fight week that came out of nowhere and ended with him defeating BKFC star and UFC veteran Mike Perry.Jenkins was victorious Saturday, earning a technical knockout stoppage on an injured Perry, just two days after receiving the call to replace Dillon Danis. Like Perry, Jenkins had recently appeared on the inaugural MVP MMA event this past May when he earned a split decision over Chris Avila, but he didn’t expect a major opportunity to come along again so soon.“I’m happy he brought me in here and…

Luke Browning won the F4 British Championship in 2020, the GB3 Championship in 2023, and the Macau Grand Prix in 2023, but as the Atlassian Williams team’s first reserve driver for Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, the 24-year-old must balance his own competitive seasons with the additional demands of supporting the F1 team. In this exclusive chat with Muscle & Fitness, the Chelsea, England, born athlete explains how he first fell in love with fast moving vehicles, and why he still relies on two wheels to stay in shape. “Everything was a race since I was four or five years…

Here are some of the federal government’s top recent personnel changes, brought to you by our partners at Leadership Connect: Nicholas Francisco “Nick” Luna has a new position as Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President at Chief of Staff [COS], Office of the Vice President [OVP], Executive Office of the President [EOP]Presidential AppointmentRecently: Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Implementation at Office of the Chief of Staff, The White House Office, Executive Office of the President (2025 – 2026) Brian P. Hudak has a new position as Chief Operating Officer (Acting) at Office of Management, United…

You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut!Eight rookies stepped into the Octagon this past weekend (Sat., Aug. 29, 2026) at UFC Shanghai inside SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China. Collectively, the newcomers went 5-3, delivering several filthy knockouts along the way.Now that the dust has settled, let’s grade their respective performances below:SHANGHAI, CHINA – AUGUST 29: Liu Ce of China reacts after knocking out Levi Rodrigues Jr. of Brazil in a light heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center on August 29, 2026 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Chris…

On August 26, 2026, Türkiye’s Anadolu Shipyard announced that the second ship of the I-class (Istif-class) frigates, the future TCG Izmir (F-516), has begun her first Sea Acceptance Trials (SAT)—featuring a visibly enlarged Vertical Launch System (VLS) configuration compared to lead ship TCG Istanbul. According to a statement released by the Tuzla/Istanbul-based private shipbuilder, the frigate departed for her initial sea trials on 10 August 2026. TCG Izmir is the sixth vessel built under Türkiye’s MILGEM (National Ship) programme and the second of the four initial I-class frigates ordered for the Turkish Naval Forces. While the lead vessel, TCG Istanbul…

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — After six months of war, Iran’s leadership has coalesced around a hard core of military generals and clerics long entrenched in the ruling theocracy. They are ready for a potentially long confrontation with the U.S. and determined to prevent any unrest at home. It’s a far cry from U.S. President Donald Trump’s initial hopes of toppling the Islamic Republic and his subsequent claims that “regime change” had brought more compromising officials to the fore. Iran’s new leaders evince little faith in any agreement with Trump — after coming under attack twice while holding talks…

While Toshio Fujiwara’s name might not be widely recognized today, his influence on the world of combat sports during a transformative period remains pivotal. As the first non-Thai to win a championship at Rajadamnern Stadium in Muay Thai and a key figure in the rise of kickboxing, Fujiwara’s journey is deeply tied to the sport’s global development. The story of kickboxing’s emergence began with Osamu Noguchi, a visionary boxing promoter from Tokyo who saw immense potential in Muay Thai for Japanese fighters. Noguchi suggested sending karate practitioners to Thailand, believing their skills would translate more effectively to Muay Thai than…