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The Lowy Institute’s After Annexation: How China Plans to Run Taiwan, authored by Richard McGregor and Jude Blanchette, delivers the clearest documented account yet of Beijing’s post-seizure governance intentions, drawn from PRC academic and policy literature published between 2019 and 2025. The authors trace a decisive shift in Chinese strategic thinking, in which Beijing no longer pursues peaceful accommodation and now frames Taiwan’s integration as a project of absorptive control requiring phased subjugation. The emphasis on “complete” unification signals that acceptable outcomes must fully eliminate Taiwan’s separate political identity rather than merely managing it. … Identity divergence is thus no…

Credit: MDADefense Feeds, Washington — The United States is strengthening its Indo-Pacific missile defense posture as the US Guam Aegis defense upgrade boosts Pacific missile shield through a new $407 million contract awarded to Lockheed Martin. The agreement focuses on advancing the Aegis missile defense system in Guam, a strategically critical US territory increasingly viewed as central to regional security operations.Guam has become one of the most important military hubs in the Pacific due to its location and role in supporting US naval and air operations. As tensions in the Indo-Pacific continue to rise, the island faces growing concern from…

What happens when the Arctic starts to look like the South China Sea?Historically, a neutral region where cooperation prevailed, the Arctic is quickly becoming a contested space. This is no more evident than in the increasing scope and volume of Russian and Chinese lawfare affecting the region. Through excessive maritime regulations, coordinated challenges to Western continental shelf claims, and the use of shadow fleets to avoid accountability, Russia and China are increasingly coordinating their efforts to exert influence and challenge Western claims to Arctic resources and freedom of navigation. As these tactics continue to converge, the United States and its…

Credit: Defense FeedsDefense Feeds, Ankara — Türkiye is accelerating its push toward fifth-generation air combat capability as the Türkiye KAAN fighter jet deal boosts next-generation air power through a newly signed contract for 20 aircraft. The agreement marks a major milestone for the country’s indigenous fighter development program and reflects Ankara’s long-term ambition to strengthen defense independence.The KAAN fighter jet, previously known as TF-X during development, is being designed as a fifth-generation multi-role combat aircraft intended to replace aging fighter fleets over time. The program is considered one of Türkiye’s most important defense projects, combining stealth features, advanced avionics and…

No matter how you scored it, Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 328. And now, he’s a two-time middleweight champion and did so with two of the biggest upsets in the history of UFC championship fights. One of my biggest questions coming out of this event is how will we, as fans, look at Strickland through a historical lens? I believe he’s now a no-doubt-about it hall of famer, but where does he rank in the all-time greats list at middleweight following this win? Let us know in the poll, and in the comments as…

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 A half-dozen pilots from one of the Air Force’s premier F-16 units, the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., have been awarded one of the service’s highest decorations for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities. The six Airmen received the Distinguished Flying Cross for their actions while escorting B-2 Spirit stealth bombers that struck the Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites…

Credit: Defense FeedsDefense Feeds, Washington — The US Navy is continuing to modernize its surface fleet as the US Navy USS Ted Stevens destroyer strengthens missile defense through the addition of a new Flight III Arleigh Burke-class warship. The vessel represents the latest evolution of the Navy’s long-running destroyer program, integrating upgraded radar and combat systems designed to counter increasingly advanced threats.The USS Ted Stevens is part of the Flight III variant of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, a version specifically developed to improve air and missile defense capabilities. As missile threats become faster and more complex, the Navy has prioritized…

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in separate interviews over the weekend, made it clear that the war in Iran is not over. The Trump administration formally declared Operation Epic Fury “terminated” and submitted official notification of its end to Congress on May 1. But the president cautioned that this procedural conclusion didn’t mean a definitive cessation to all military actions.“No, I didn’t say that,” Trump insisted during an interview with “Full Measure” when asked if combat operations are over. He emphasized that while Iran had been “defeated,” this did not mean that U.S. operations “are done.”Trump…

Pictured is a Ukrainian “Khyzhak” remote controlled weapon station. The Ministry of Defence has begun to make the system autonomous. Credit: Ukraine Ministry of Defence. Ukraine has integrated artificial intelligence (AI) to a point defence turret It marks the beginning of what seems to bethe deployment of autonomous weapons systems at scale The turret will be deployed with more than ten units along frontline areas More than ten Ukrainian military units are deploying an autonomous point defence turret placed along frontline areas. According to a recent press release, the Ministry of Defence emphasised that these weapons will help to protect…

Raja Jackson, son of UFC veteran Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, faces a full 90-day jail term with no early release option. Legal experts point to the San Fernando courthouse policy that locks in time served for this plea deal. He entered a no-contest plea on May 6, 2026, to felony battery causing serious bodily injury, plus admissions to great bodily injury and violent conduct.  Rampage Jackson’s Son Raja Must Serve Every Day of 90-Day Sentence The case stems from an August 23, 2025, incident at KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy in Sun Valley, Los Angeles. Jackson, a 26-year-old streamer and MMA practitioner,…