The Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australia’s version of the Food and Drug Administration, made previously illegal psychedelic drugs available to persons with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Strict limitations apply. Only registered psychiatrists who have the ethics approvals normally needed to conduct clinical trials and who have gained regulatory authorization through a provider program will be allowed to prescribe them. The TGA …

Mercenaries frustrated with government policies occupied a Russian town and planned to march on Moscow. Fortunately, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko mediated a solution that avoided bloodshed. After the Ukraine War began, the Wagner Group’s ranks swelled from about 5,000 fighters to about 25,000. Wagner Group fighters in Ukraine complained about equipment shortages and mission orders. Russian military commanders sometimes ordered …

American private military contractor companies basically did not exist until the 1980s. The 1893 Anti-Pinkerton Act basically banned paramilitary organizations. Then, in 1978, the General Accounting Office reversed its strict interpretation policy. Several companies, 10 of which are listed below, quickly stepped up to take advantage of the new law. As contractor duties expanded, the possibility of injury expanded as …

Generally, veterans must initiate the VA disability process. The situation is reversed for Afghanistan and Iraq War burn pit victims. “We’re dealing with veterans who in some cases have waited decades for these benefits and in some cases are dealing with terminal illnesses,” Joshua Jacobs, VA Benefits Undersecretary, said. Since the PACT Act took effect, over a half-million veterans have …

Tokyo officials vowed to shoot down any threatening object ahead of a planned North Korean spy satellite launch. Tokyo expects North Korea to fire the rocket carrying its satellite over Japan’s southwest island chain as it did in 2016, a defense ministry spokesperson said. Analysts say the new satellite is part of a surveillance technology program that includes drones aimed …

Probably not. Violent crimes have dropped in the troubled island nation, mostly because a vigilante group has intimidated street gangs, according to a recent report. However, the situation in the Caribbean country remains extremely volatile as heavily armed gangs continue to drive a humanitarian crisis that has displaced tens of thousands amid frequent kidnappings for ransom, gang rapes, tortures, and …

Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said that, by June 1, Russian regular military forces will completely replace Wagner Group mercenaries in the key eastern Ukraine city. Ukraine’s deputy defense minister partially confirmed this report. He said Wagner units have been replaced with regular troops in the suburbs, but Wagner fighters remain inside the city. Ukrainian forces still have a foothold …

A bipartisan group of senators led by Bernie Sanders (I-VT) asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to look into allegations of defense contractor fraud that 60 Minutes investigators claimed they discovered. “Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, and TransDigm are among the offenders, dramatically overcharging the Department and U.S. taxpayers while reaping enormous profits, seeing their stock prices soar, and handing out massive …

For many generations, misconceptions about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder effectively prevented victims from getting treatment. For example, in the American Civil War, doctors concluded that soldiers with depression and other PTSD symptoms had nostalgia, which was essentially advanced homesickness. The cure, according to doctors, was a vigorous offensive campaign that would take their minds off their homesickness. Ironically, of course, …

Syria’s foreign minister condemned an Israeli rocket attack that targeted Damascus, damaged some military facilities, and seriously injured two people. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based war monitor, said it was the fifth Israeli strike on Syria this month. Israeli authorities declined to comment. An opposition source with contacts on the ground said the strikes hit a car …

The UK plans to hand over the Chagos Islands, which includes Diego Garcia, to Mauritius. But officials worry that Chinese investment in Mauritius could affect the vital U.S. military base on Diego Garcia. China has invested more than a billion dollars in Mauritius. The fact that Diego Garcia is home to such a vital military installation is probably not a …

Black Skills, a shadowy organization with no known affiliation with any government, is a military contractor that focuses exclusively on cyber warfare. The name “Private Military Hacking Company” is a clear riff on the growing presence and cult of private military companies in Russia (primarily the Wagner Group). It is also likely a not-so-subtle invitation to the Russian government to …