Underground nuclear tests would be authorized by provision in Defense bill

Two US army soldiers and one American civilian interpreter were killed in an ambush by the Islamic State group in Palmyra, Syria, marking the first US casualties since the fall of Bashar al-Assad a year ago, according to US Central Command and the Pentagon.

Two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in an ambush by the Islamic State in Palmyra, Syria, marking a significant escalation in U.S. military involvement in the region. The Pentagon confirmed the attack, which is the first U.S. casualties since the fall of Bashar al-Assad a year ago.

Two U.S. Army soldiers and one civilian interpreter were killed in an ambush by an Islamic State gunman in Palmyra, Syria, marking a significant escalation in U.S. military involvement in the region. The Pentagon confirmed the attack, which also left three other U.S. service members wounded. This incident represents the first U.S. casualties since the fall of Bashar al-Assad a year ago.

Congress has removed a bipartisan provision from the Pentagon's final defense bill that would have granted the military the right to repair its equipment, a decision that has drawn criticism from various senators. This provision was backed by former President Trump and aimed to enhance military readiness by allowing for more efficient maintenance of equipment.

Bipartisan lawmakers in the Senate are advocating for the Pentagon to release unedited footage of a military strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean. This push is part of a defense bill aimed at increasing transparency regarding controversial military operations that have resulted in civilian casualties.

The Pentagon has issued a warning that China is making significant strides in its space ambitions, achieving its goals at an alarming rate, as highlighted by top officials during a recent conference. This development underscores the intensifying competition in the second space race between the U.S. and China.