Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

This is the second half of the second part (I, IIa, IIb) of our honestly-who-knows-how-many part series laying out some general guidelines for how pre-modern armies are recruited, raised, equipped and paid. While I hope this will be of great interest to the history nerds out there, I’ve opted to structure this specifically as a service for the worldbuilders out there, making useful rules of thumb for imagining fantastical societies. We’re picking up right where we left off discussing various methods for actually mobilizing an army, which is to say recruiting the troops, getting them armed and getting them in…

A group of eight brave, bold women took to the sky for a historic parachute jump to mark the 82nd anniversary of D-Day in early June. The group included veterans, first responders, law enforcement officials and women working in intelligence, making history as the first all-female unit to leap over Normandy, France. The “chalk” not only commemorated D-Day, one of the most important military operations in American history, but also brought recognition to the role of women in the World War II resistance movement, a vital group that often gets overlooked. The group included Carol Whitmore, the first female commander-in-chief…

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 As the Space Force develops options to respond to real-time threats in orbit, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is looking for technology that could support those efforts and expand the scope of gap-filler capabilities the U.S. military can leverage in a crisis.  The agency issued a request for information this month that asks companies to provide “technical solutions and operational concepts and strategies” that could help the Space Force replace…

A new era of airpower focused on autonomy and affordable mass is moving into mass production: today, the Air Force selected Anduril for the production phase of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. Under the contract, Anduril will deliver an initial set of production FQ-44 semi-autonomous fighter aircraft to support continued testing, validation, and, ultimately, operational fielding. The contract also establishes a structure for the Air Force to buy additional lots of production FQ-44 aircraft across the next several years, providing a clear path for the Air Force to rapidly and affordably expand fighter capacity. The decision is an important…

One of referee Herb Dean’s biggest critics, Dan Hardy, is one of his biggest defenders from Alex Pereira’s criticism after UFC Freedom 250. Former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira’s bid at history fell short as he lost to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250. In his highly anticipated heavyweight debut, Pereira lost the opportunity to become the UFC’s first three-division champ as Gane knocked him out in Round 2. After the loss, Pereira scolded referee Herb Dean for missing multiple blows to the back of his head in the final seconds of the fight. Pereira went as far as to…

19 June 2026 00:02 997-19-06-2026 Unofficial translation This article by Sergey Lavrov was initially planned to be published in the Brussels-based “Politico-Europe”, but via a last minute decision of the outlet’s editorial team the publication was canceled. Some Reflections on Resolving the Ukrainian Crisis, Europe and Global Security At a meeting in London on 7 June 2026, the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany, as well as Vladimir Zelensky, laid out five preconditions for Russia to secure a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine. The united Europe now presents this list of demands as the basis for dialogue with Moscow.…

Nearly two weeks after a red, white and blue paint job, Air Force One was delivered to the Presidential Airlift Group.The Qatari-donated Boeing VC-25B Bridge aircraft arrived at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, and will begin its initial commissioning flights, the U.S. Air Force announced Friday.“Fresh from receiving its new red, white, and blue livery and the final government modifications, the aircraft has entered service to provide critical, secure continuity for the commander in chief,” the release reads.The Air Force announced the interim presidential aircraft is on track for its summer delivery in May. The move to use the aircraft donated…

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 11: (L-R) Canelo Álvarez, H.E. Turki Alalshikh, Dana White and Terence Crawford pose onstage during Netflix’s Canelo vs Crawford press conference at T-Mobile Arena on September 11, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Netflix) Getty Images for Netflix

Global Times By Global Times Published: Jun 19, 2026 08:31 AM China views positively the remarks made by a South Korean official who reiterated, in its entirety and publicly to the press, the language on Taiwan in the China-ROK joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations, said a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday. Nam Jin, Director-General for Northeast Asian and Central Asian Affairs at the ROK’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told local reporters on Thursday that South Korea’s position regarding Taiwan as part of China has never changed. The Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic…

While Western leaders continue to speculate over a possible compromise peace between Moscow and Kyiv, Russian President Vladimir Putin makes no secret of the fact that he remains fully committed to the so-called “denazification” of Ukraine. Speaking at Russia’s flagship St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in early June, Putin once again expressed confidence that all of Russia’s war aims in Ukraine would be achieved, including the “denazification” of the country. Putin’s determination to “denazify” Ukraine makes a mockery of efforts to portray the Russian invasion as a mere land grab. It also helps to explain why there has been no…