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The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East visited the long-deployed USS Lincoln in the Arabian Sea during a regional tour that ended on Saturday, the U.S. Central Command said. A Hamas delegation and, separately, U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner were in Egypt for Gaza ceasefire-related talks with Egyptian officials. And the 60-day negotiating period that began with the June 17 signing of an interim agreement between the U.S. and Iran is set to end with no word of an extension. Here’s a look at the latest developments on Sunday in the Iran war and the wider Middle East. Full…

You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut!Two rookies stepped into the Octagon yesterday (Sat., Aug. 15, 2026) at UFC 330 inside Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Collectively, the Brazilian newcomers went 1-1, with one of them delivering a picture-perfect debut.Now that the dust has settled, let’s grade their respective performances below:PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 15: Eduardo Chapolin of Brazil protests to referee Jason Herzog after delivering an illegal knee against Charles Johnson in a 130-pound catchweight fight during the UFC 330 event at Xfinity Mobile Arena on August 15, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa…

Terry Gerton The government just announced it was taking equity stakes, totaling more than $800 million in seven companies in the semiconductor industry. I’m old enough to remember that government’s main role used to be fairly straightforward. It funded research, it set the rules, and it let the markets sort out the rest. What has changed now that has agencies taking direct stakes in companies instead of just providing incentives? Joel Fetter There’s really an evolution in how people are thinking about the relationship between the public and the private sector. And like you, I was raised on the idea…

The Defense Department has begun bringing on civilian employees through the Trump administration’s new strategic hiring committees, raising questions about their impact on the defense workforce so far. Four committees have sprung up across the department to vet new workers, including one in each of the three military service departments and one that covers the Office of the Secretary of Defense and other defense agencies, according to a DoD spokesperson. But their work is largely shrouded in secrecy nearly one year after President Donald Trump mandated the committees’ creation in an executive order last October. “Nobody really knows what’s happening,…

Key PointsThe Coast Guard is seeking industry input to convert new C-130J aircraft into HC-130J surveillance planes for itself and Customs and Border Protection.The RFI covers a base of four aircraft with options for eight more, and includes a draft plan to add SpaceX Starshield satellite communications.The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking companies capable of converting new C-130J transport aircraft into HC-130J surveillance planes, part of a program that will eventually cover 28 Coast Guard aircraft and 12 more for Customs and Border Protection. The Coast Guard’s Office of Aviation Acquisition posted a request for information on August 14, asking…

Trending:Arman Tsarukyan vs. Charles Oliveira 2 cancelled as Tsarukyan set for new UFC 331 fightZuffa LLCMackenzie Darn is still the women’s strawweight champion following UFC 330, and she doesn’t feel a bout with Zhang Weili is necessary to vindicate her title run. Dern thwarted the challenge of Gillian Robertson inside Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia this past Saturday. At the end of the opening frame, Dern worked her jiu-jitsu game and nearly had a rear-naked choke prior to the horn. Dern had success throughout the fight setting up takedowns and maintaining top control, and it earned her a unanimous decision…

Din Thomas says his time as a fight cornerman is over following Gillian Robertson’s unsuccessful UFC strawweight title challenge at UFC 330. Thomas made the announcement after Robertson lost a unanimous decision to champion Mackenzie Dern in Philadelphia. Dern retained the 115-pound belt by scores of 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 in the UFC 330 co-main event at Xfinity Mobile Arena. It was Dern’s first successful title defense, and it left Robertson short in her first UFC championship opportunity. Robertson entered the bout with her grappling regarded as a potential route to the upset, but Dern controlled the majority of the…

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — The U.S. Army is creating VICTOR, a new artificial intelligence-powered network engagement platform designed to transform how soldiers and Army career professionals discover, share and apply operational knowledge. Managed by the leaders within the U.S. Army Combined Arms Command, the effort represents the next step in connecting the Army’s institutional knowledge with the needs of Soldiers across the force. This new tool aims to solve a long-standing problem: critical lessons and insights are often locked away in disconnected data silos, which impedes and discourages Soldiers from finding them. Whether preparing for a training event, planning an…

A U.S. Marine Corps veteran has sued a popular Illinois steakhouse, claiming that their food left him “bedridden” with permanent brain injuries. Attorneys representing Joe Belgio, who became a firefighter after his time in the Marines and is now confined to a hospital bed, announced a lawsuit and fundraiser on his behalf, according to ABC News. The suit claims that Belgio became ill after being served oysters allegedly contaminated with bacteria and other dangerous pathogens during a meal in July 2025 at Gibsons Steakhouse in Oak Brook, Ill. The business started in 1989 in Chicago with the first of its…

The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. President Donald Trump has given the U.S. Navy and the Pentagon 60 days to draw up a plan for installing steam-powered catapults and hydraulic elevators on the future Ford class aircraft carrier USS Doris Miller. On and off for nearly a decade now, Trump has talked about ordering the Navy to abandon the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) catapults and Advanced Weapons Elevators (AWE) that are currently at the core of the Ford class design. The EMALS and AWEs have struggled with…