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People’s Daily Online (Xinhua) 13:27, June 27, 2026 PARIS, June 27 (Xinhua) — France has denounced Burkina Faso’s decision to sever diplomatic relations as “hostile and baseless,” saying that it “illustrated the troubling drift of the Burkinabe authorities” and that Paris was considering necessary reciprocal measures, AFP reported Friday. 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. According to the statement, the decision followed “a thorough assessment of the current state of bilateral relations between Burkina Faso and France.”…

The U.S. Army this week gave its chaplains 90 days to strip the rank from their uniforms in a move that puts a definitive timeline on a directive championed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has sought to shift religious leaders’ identities from their military grade to their faiths. Army chaplains have 90 days to remove rank from Army Combat Uniforms and 180 days to remove it from cold weather gear. The new guidance, signed by Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, also tells chaplains exactly where to attach religious branch insignia on uniforms and headgear. The changes do not…

Watch the event For NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the Ankara summit next month “is about delivery.” Rutte spoke at an Atlantic Council Front Page event on Thursday at the Council’s Washington headquarters, arguing that the Ankara summit could wind up “even more important” than last year’s in The Hague, where allies committed to spending 5 percent of their gross domestic product on defense. “It’s great to have the commitments, and The Hague was a big success,” he explained, “but then to deliver on the commitments… is even more important.” “In the end,” he said, Russian President Vladimir Putin “is…

Two U.S. warships, the USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) and the littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS-15), have been dispatched to Venezuela following the nation’s devastating earthquakes on Wednesday. According to U.S. Southern Command, the interim government of Venezuela formally requested U.S. support following the twin 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes. American forces are providing “specialized mobility services and support to U.S. government personnel, search and rescue teams, and U.S. interagency partners as they assess damage, locate the injured, and deliver critical, life-saving assistance.”On Wednesday, a 7.2 magnitude quake hit north-central Venezuela near Yumare. Just 39 seconds later, a larger 7.5…

On July 7, 2026, as part of the 20th International Summer Martial Arts Camp near Varna, Bulgaria, the next edition of the World Cup Varna in Kyokushin Karate will take place. The tournament is one of the most prestigious international competitions for athletes aged 14 to 21. This year, the event will bring together 437 competitors from 25 countries, making it one of the largest international forums for young Kyokushin karate athletes worldwide. National teams from Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa will send their most promising fighters to compete for the prestigious World Cup titles. Bulgaria will be represented…

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 Facing competition from fast-growing startups, Lockheed Martin is speeding up production of an “affordable, scalable” hypersonic glide body, dubbed the Next Generation Glide Body, the firm said in a June 24 release. The new body is scheduled for flight in late 2027, a company spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine. When asked what makes the munition body new, a Lockheed spokesperson keyed in on manufacturing approaches that make it both…

Update: This story has been updated with day 1 results. It’s finally time again for Evo 2026 and as always for the main event, it’s taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A. There are far too many notable players to list in this introductory paragraph, but it’s generally safe to assume that any big player in the main games represented will be there and will be bringing their absolute A game to try and sit on the…

Credit: Defense FeedsDefense Feeds, Washington. The Precision Strike Missile production contract has entered a new phase after the U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin an $8.4 billion agreement that will sustain manufacturing of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) through 2032.The long-term contract ensures continued production of one of the Army’s most important long-range strike weapons as it accelerates modernization of its artillery forces and expands inventories for future operational requirements.The agreement highlights the Army’s commitment to replacing the aging MGM-140 ATACMS with the next-generation PrSM, a missile designed to provide greater range, improved precision and enhanced flexibility for launch from both…

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – JUNE 26: (L-R) Opponents Rafael Fiziev of Kazakstan and Manuel Torres of Mexico face off during the UFC Fight Night ceremonial weigh-in at National Gymnastics Arena on June 26, 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

The highly anticipated boxing rematch between legends Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao has been canceled. Manny Pacquiao’s team recently confirmed to The Ring that the upcoming rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been scratched as Mayweather faces lawsuits and potential criminal charges. Mayweather and Pacquiao competed in the most lucrative boxing match in the sport’s history in 2015, with Mayweather earning the nod on the judges’ scorecards. They were scheduled to run it back on September 19th on Netflix before a slew of recent issues hit Mayweather and his camp. According to Pacquiao’s camp, Mayweather is to blame for…