The House of Representatives has passed President Trump's voter identification legislation, known as the Save America Act, after Speaker Mike Johnson navigated a difficult internal rebellion within his own party to get the bill through. The path to passage was far from smooth, involving days of stalled action and last-minute negotiations. A Rocky Road Through the House Floor Just days before the bill's passage, a renewed rebellion among House Republicans had brought action on the floor to a standstill. The internal pushback was serious enough that Speaker Johnson made the decision to send members home early ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, effectively pausing progress on the legislation until tensions could be addressed. The rebellion reflected divisions within the Republican party over specific provisions in the voter ID bill, with some members expressing concerns that ultimately required further negotiation before they were willing to support the legislation. Getting t...
Germany's Defence Ministry has cancelled its most ambitious naval programme in decades, scrapping plans to build six F126 frigates after the project was hit by years of delays, massive cost overruns and contractor failures. The decision, announced on June 24, 2026, brings an end to what had been the largest warship commission in Germany since the Second World War. What Was the F126 Frigate Program? The F126 frigate programme was launched in 2020 under then-Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen. The plan was to build six of the world's largest frigates each 166 metres long with a displacement of 10,500 tonnes at a total cost of roughly €10 billion. The ships were designed primarily for anti-submarine warfare and were intended to fulfil Germany's NATO obligations. Dutch shipbuilder Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding was awarded the original contract as general contractor. At the time, it was described as a milestone in German defence procurement, with officials emphasising...