Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — A gay rights activist is suing the Department of Defense to answer a simple question: Did Scouting America actually agree to ban transgender members in a deal with the Pentagon? James Dale, who filed a complaint in a New York City federal court Thursday, alleges that both sides have provided conflicting answers, while the Pentagon is refusing to release a copy of its agreement with the organization. The Pentagon made a deal with Scouting America in February that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said would refocus the organization away from diversity initiatives and other “woke” policies. Hegseth threatened…

Congressional votes on a controversial veterans bill that would increase benefits for medically retired disabled vets and survivors have been delayed amid push back over elections legislation that is a top priority for President Donald Trump.The Take Care of America’s Veterans bill, a Republican-backed proposal that contains 62 measures aimed at increasing benefits for veterans and survivors has stalled as the House wrestles with the president’s demands to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE, Act, legislation that would require voter identification and reduce mail-in ballots.The House was expected to take up the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act,…

Historically, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has occupied a relatively peripheral position on the global geopolitical chessboard. Its history is characterized by a precarious balance between the imperialist ambitions of great powers and its own internal political instability. This pattern appears to repeat throughout the region, despite the varying degrees of difference between the economies and societies of the countries south of the Rio Grande. The 20th century marked the period of the United States’ near total and undisputed hegemony over the continent. Under the pretext of combating the supposed dangers of the communist threat, the presence of its…

Asu Almabayev pulled off one of the rarest submissions in MMA to cap another dominant victory. The Kazakh flyweight showcased his complete skill set at UFC Baku, controlling Charles Johnson for nearly three rounds before forcing the American to tap to a seldom-seen Suloev stretch. “Zulfikar” looked in command from the outset, using sharp leg kicks and overhand rights to negate Johnson’s reach advantage. He soon changed levels and secured the first of several takedowns, immediately dictating where the fight would take place. Johnson found occasional success on the feet in the second round, but every time he attempted to…

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is live TODAY (Sat., June 27, 2026) with UFC Baku, streaming live online via Paramount+. The event happens inside Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan.UFC is back out on the road this week for its second trip to the Azerbaijan capital of Baku (and its second juicy site fee from that small nation). The fight card is tailored specifically for their patrons, as you’d expect.UFC Baku’s main event is Rafael Fiziev vs. Manuel Torres. Fiziev was born in Kazakhstan, moved to Kyrgyzstan and now trains in Thailand (and Florida). Though, he proudly carries the flag of…

The Secret Service failed to effectively secure and manage mobile devices used for official business, including during protective operations, creating risks that adversaries could intercept sensitive communications and use them to target U.S. leaders and other protectees, according to a watchdog report issued Thursday.The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general determined Secret Service employees routinely relied on personal phones for official work, including during domestic and overseas protective assignments, because government-issued devices lacked key tools needed to communicate with law enforcement, foreign partners and other officials.Those personal devices were not managed or secured by the government, creating vulnerabilities that could…

News June 26, 2026 Lisa Daigle Assistant Managing Editor Military Embedded Systems AiRANACULUS graphic LOWELL, Mass. Networking technology company AiRanaculus won a $5 million award from NASA to supply several technologies that will support NASA lunar and space communications networks.  Under the terms of the NASA Civilian Commercialization Readiness Pilot Program (CCRPP) contract, AiRanaculus will enhance its CLAIRE and INSPiRE products in a way that will support lunar and space networks. The company will work on this enhancement product with NASA Ames Research Center and industry collaborators including NVIDIA, Nokia Federal Solutions, Dell Technologies, Curtiss-Wright, Supermicro, and Radisys. AiRanaculus officials stated that its technologies will…

PARIS — Finland’s ICEYE expects to double global production to 100 radar satellites by the end of 2027, the company told Defense News in a clarification of comments by CEO Rafal Modrzewski at a defense-industry conference in Brussels on Tuesday.ICEYE is currently manufacturing satellites at a pace of 50 per year, Modrzewski said at the European Defence & Security Summit in the Belgian capital, and the goal is to ramp up production to two satellites a week as the company responds to surging demand from European militaries.The CEO said future constellations will be “in the hundreds of satellites,” pointing to…

The money has arrived. Between January 2025 and June 2026, the FTSE 350 Aerospace & Defence Index rose more than 85%; venture funding into European defense startups reached €7.4 billion ($8.4 billion) in 2025; and the European Union’s €150 billion SAFE loan program now ties major contracts to building at scale, fast, with most components sourced inside the bloc.Europe does not have an idea problem. Its challenge is turning ideas into mass-produced capability, and the joint ventures (JVs) meant to do that too often stall before they deliver.The logic of a JV is sound: pair a fast-moving innovator with an…

People’s Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:59, June 27, 2026 OUAGADOUGOU, June 26 (Xinhua) — Burkina Faso announced on Friday evening that it had decided to sever diplomatic relations with France with immediate effect, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office of Burkina Faso. According to the statement, the decision followed “a thorough assessment of the current state of bilateral relations between Burkina Faso and France.” The government said that “the conditions essential for promoting relations based on mutual respect, reciprocal trust, respect for the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and national sovereignty are no longer in place.”…