Author: Michael

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force has for the first time demonstrated its ability to utilise its new fleet of YY-20 aerial tankers to refuel its H-6 strategic bombers, extending the range of its large fleet of very diversely armed long range combat jets. The YY-20 was developed as a derivative of the world’s largest military transport jet in production today, the Y-20, and first began combat readiness training in late 2022.

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To start the company we know today as FedEx, Frederick W. Smith took a step that many entrepreneurs do. He used a combination of his family’s money, as well as the approximately $690 million (in 2025 dollars) in venture capital. To keep the firm going, he tried what no entrepreneur would recommend: he took the last of his money to Las Vegas.
The initial fleet of Federal Express’ aircraft consisted of 14 jets that served 25 cities across the country. In Smith’s leanest years, he faced a budget shortfall that threatened his entire operation: he couldn’t buy fuel for his jets.

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On June 14, 2025, the U.S. Army marked its 250th anniversary with a public parade in Washington. While billed as the Army’s celebration, the parade was unconventional in American terms. It featured corporate sponsors and was closely identified with President Donald Trump, falling on his birthday. Critics — ranging from veterans’ groups to some members of Congress — viewed it as politically charged, drawing uncomfortably close to spectacles more akin to what we would see in authoritarian countries.

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Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of three articles on the U.S. Marine Corps. The first article was published on June 16, 2025, and the second article was published on June 19, 2025.Commandant Eric Smith clearly articulated his vision for the future of the Marine Corps: While retaining focus on the China threat, the service will recenter on global crisis response. This means getting more marines — and more of their combat gear — on ship and deployed around the world.

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