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In May 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a carefully worded joint statement about the deepening military ties between the two countries. The deletion apparently indicates the Chinese leadership’s attempt to stabilize its relations with Japan, a U.S. security ally, amid an intensifying confrontation between Beijing and Washington. In the document endorsed by the two …

Private military contractors have a long, and some would say checkered, history in Africa. Their story is still being written today. Mercenaries have long shaped the course of African warfare, from Pharaoh Ramses II reportedly employing over 10,000 mercenaries in the 13th century B.C. to Carthage in the 5th century B.C., which heavily relied on hired soldiers from Iberia, Gaul, …

Within hours of its posts looking for “Humanitarian Liaison Officers”  and “Team Managers,” dozens of would-be private military contractors submitted applications on LinkedIn. Another position on offer a week ago but has since closed is for a “Team Deputy/Manager” to support “day-to-day management, planning, and mission execution.” A liaison officer position appears to be analytically focused. It says that hires …

Burn pit Defense Base Act benefit claims are independent from VA disability burn pit claims. But just like private military contractors overlap with regular servicemembers, the injury claims overlap as well. Just like the following conditions make VA disability benefits easier to obtain, they also make Defense Base Act benefits easier to obtain. Under U.S. law, exposure to burn pit …

A prominent American researcher believes that psychedelic drugs can effectively treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She wants the government to let her test her theory. “Initially, I discouraged them and rolled my eyes thinking about it,” remarked Dr. Sue Sisley, whose training taught her to view only approved drugs as medicines. “I lacked sympathy for their claims and thought they …